Monster Girl Saga

(A/N: Well, here's Chapter 10 of Monster Girl Saga. Sorry for the wait, between my proofreader being crunched by university and me having some RL issues, it was very slow going. As usual, thanks to Toraneko from TFF for proofing and editing, and additionally, thanks to Nanya and FH_Meta, also from TFF, for covering for him when he was busy. Enjoy and let me know if there are any typos!)

 

CHAPTER 10

 

Friends can be found in the strangest places

 

The return trip from Enrika Village was uneventful, with no monster approaching Luka and his companions, but even then, the group only reached the ruins long after the sun had set. After a brief chat with Alice and the Elves, Luka and Thermidor decided to spend the next day resting there, rather than setting out for Iliasport right away. This would also give Luka some time to organize his growing inventory. Some of the items he was carrying, such as the jars of Happiness Honey, were rather cumbersome, and he found it better to leave anything he didn’t plan on using often to the Elves for safekeeping. With that decided, the group headed off to sleep.

 

The next day saw Luka up later than usual, due to the fatigue from the back-and-forth trip from Enrika. Deciding to forego his morning training for once, he took a quick bath in the nearby spring, got dressed and began to sort out his possessions. Before long, Milia walked up to him and joined him, eyeing his inventory with curiosity.

 

“I see you gathered quite a bit of equipment,” she commented after examining the wares Luka had received from Po and Micaela. Picking up the armguards the blacksmith had given him, she examined them critically, then nodded with an impressed look on her face. “Leather bands reinforced with steel. Very nice. This is fine equipment. Whoever made these knows how to make armor.”

 

“Yeah, they were made by Iliasburg’s blacksmith. A former adventurer,” Luka nodded. “Which reminds me, he mentioned running into two Elven warriors about ten years ago while hunting wild bears, and his description of them matched you and Wriph. Do you happen to know someone named Po?”

 

“You met Master Po? So he’s still in good health!” Milia exclaimed with delight as she clapped her hands. “We did indeed meet him, while hunting down the same bears he was after. They’d become rabid, you see, and attacked all that strayed near them indiscriminately. He graciously allowed us to snatch a bit of glory for ourselves. Sadly, he would not take us as his lovers. Such a shame... men like him are very rare, and he did not demonstrate his age at all.”

 

“Well, he claimed he was too old to accept your offer back then, and that he even needed your help to defeat those two bears...” Luka commented. Milia chuckled in amusement.

 

“Too old? Needed our help? Two bears?” she said inbetween giggles. “Master Po didn’t need our help, or anyone else’s, at all. And there were four bears, not two. By the time we caught up to him, he’d killed the first two already, and we assisted him in bringing the last two down. Or rather, he easily killed the third one, while Wriph and I struggled to bring the fourth down, and he let us take credit for the last two kills.”

 

“Seriously? That’s not what he said at all,” Luka commented. “He made it sound like your assistance was vital to his success...”

 

“Yes, that’s how he usually is,” Milia nodded. “Master Po is a modest man, I could tell that even from the very short time we spent together. Whenever someone brought up his past as the ‘Red-Handed Devil of Hellgondo’, he’d downplay his feats, claiming there’s more tall tales about his exploits than he cares to remember. But the truth is that back then, when he was supposedly already past his prime, he was far stronger than Milia or I have ever been.” The Elf sighed wistfully as she set down the armguards. “He was different from common adventurers. I have no trouble believing most of the stories I heard about him. I’d wager quite a few of them are true. You’d do well to ask around about him when you’re in Sentora. He was very famous. Alas, he was not interested in having lovers, even though he did find us attractive, and we were not so foolish as to entertain the notion that we could force him into something he didn’t want, so we parted ways. But I’m glad to know he’s still alive and healthy.”

 

“You should go visit him,” Luka suggested as he began to divide the contents of his backpack in two piles. “He spoke rather fondly of you two. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind reminiscing a bit... and who knows? Perhaps, now that he’s older and has settled down, he may be more receptive to the interest of two lovely young women such as yourselves.”

 

“Lovely young women? My, married life is making you sweet-tongued, Luka,” Milia shook her head with another giggle as her eyes sparkled. “But I don’t think so. I believe Master Po simply isn’t interested in intimate relationships. He has his one true love - his art. He’s content that way. And besides,” she added with a coy smile, “we have found someone as interesting as he is now.”

 

“Come on, now,” Luka protested as he got up and put away one pile of miscellaneous items in a nearby drawer. “You can’t seriously be comparing him to someone like me. He’s a world-famous adventurer... I’m just a kid with a big dream.”

 

“And yet, I think your fame will one day exceed even his,” Milia replied as she got up from her seat, still smiling. “Wriph and I decided to believe in you. We will wait for as long as it takes, so... do remember to return to us when your journey is finally over. We don’t even mind if we have to share. We’re sure you have enough love for everyone, after all.”

 

With those words, she turned around, winked at an embarrassed Luka from over her shoulder and left. Luka stared at the door she’d gone through for a few seconds, then he sighed and began to look for smaller containers to pour some of the Happiness Honey into.

 

Exceeding Po’s fame, huh? he thought as he rummaged through the drawers. I must admit, that’s something I’d like to be able to brag about someday...

 

----

 

Later in the afternoon, after organizing his belongings, Luka decided to dedicate some time to practice, and headed out in the courtyard with Angel Halo. The mannequins Thermidor had set up years before for his training were still there, if considerably weathered by the constant abuse he inflicted upon them during practice, and he decided to work on the execution of Demon Skull Beheading, which still needed perfecting.

 

With that settled, he started training. Using various environmental pieces as trampolines to gain the necessary height for the move, he began to test different executions for his new Cursed Sword skill. Running up slopes, bouncing off trees and other obstacles, even climbing up trees and dropping down, simulating an ambush from above - Luka patiently tested and evaluated all possible executions his mind could think of.

 

Eventually, he concluded that his best bet for the time being was to stick with using a combination of momentum and nearby surfaces to gain enough height for the move to be executed. However, he didn’t dismiss the possibility of simply climbing a surface and then dropping down: most monsters would mistake a human climbing up a tree or other elevated surface as an attempt to escape, and would be taken aback by a sudden plunging attack following that.

 

As he wound down from his training and allowed his sore muscles to cool off, Luka offhandedly considered how much more convenient Demon Skull Beheading would be if he had wings. It seemed to be a move tailor-made for use by a warrior capable of three-dimensional combat on a whim, such as someone able to fly or, at least, perform enormous leaps. He idly wondered if perhaps it hadn’t been created by one such individual.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a clapping sound, and he turned towards the ruins’ front, spotting Alice resting on a bench and giving him an appreciative applause, a faint smile on her lips. He approached her, feeling like sitting down as well.

 

“A round of applause? I’m flattered,” he said as he dropped down next to her. “I assume that means I positively impressed you.”

 

“You did,” the Echidna nodded with an approving look. “I like how methodical you were in trying out various approaches to a move your kind is ill-suited for. And you’re doing well in mastering its use in spite of all obstacles. Well done.”

 

“Ill-suited, eh? I’ve been thinking about how this move doesn’t really agree with ground-based combat,” Luka commented as he leaned back, looking up at the sky. “It seems designed more for someone capable of fighting in three dimensions - like a flier, or someone with amazingly strong legs.”

 

“Very perceptive. Your guess is correct,” Alice nodded, smiling in approval again. “This skill was created by a Harpy champion. She would use it to sweep in from above and swiftly break her enemies’ heads open, leaving them dead in a pool of their own blood before they realized the danger.”

 

“Yet another technique with a ghastly backstory, I see,” Luka commented, rolling his eyes. “Then again, with a name like ‘Demon Skull Beheading’, I wasn’t really expecting a heartwarming tale of friendship and sunshine. Ah, it doesn’t matter. In the end, the important thing isn’t whether something sounds or looks heroic, but how it’s used.”

 

“Well said. Sometimes you say amazingly mature and insightful things,” Alice commented, eyeing him curiously. “You can be wise beyond your years when you want to.”

 

“That’s common sense, not wisdom,” Luka pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “I mean, look at Angel Halo. It looks positively sinister and malicious, and you said it was made out of melted Angels... and yet, it is arguably one of the most merciful weapons in the world, being incapable of killing, but merely sealing, and temporarily to boot.”

 

“While I largely agree with you, you should be careful,” Alice replied. “Some weapons out there have a will of their own - like the one Thermidor gave you, for instance - and those whose names are especially ominous often are as malevolent as their title implies. And others were made in such a way that their inherent evilness is undeniable. For instance, a past Monster Lord used a weapon that devoured her enemies’ souls, and if anyone other than her attempted to touch it, it would skin them alive in a most ghastly and agonizing fashion. A weapon like that... even if the item itself isn’t evil, the purpose it was made for is clearly malicious.”

 

“Ugh... that sounds horrible. What was the problem that Monster Lord had with everyone else?” Luka grimaced in distaste. Alice shook her head.

 

“The Eighth Monster Lord was... not a nice person,” Alice reluctantly admitted. “She seized power by slaughtering her own sisters and killing everyone else that got in the way, then launched a genocidal campaign against the humans. Even by today’s monsters’ standards, what she did was excessive. Fortunately, your human Hero, Heinrich, defeated her... in doing so, he may have done a great service to monsterkind, as well. By the way,” the serpentine monster changed the subject, “Are you absolutely serious about going to Hellgondo and meeting the Monster Lord? As I said before, it’s a journey few have returned from. And now you have children on the way; you can’t afford to die anymore. Your life is no longer yours alone to do with as you see fit. Even knowing that, will you still press on?”

 

“It’s because of those children that I have to press on,” Luka shook his head. “I said it before and I’ll say it again: this isn’t a world I’d want my kids to grow up in. I owe it to them to at least try and make it a better place, where they could roam freely without fear of being attacked just for being different. Plus, I think I ought to speak with the Heavenly Knights, as well. This situation seems to involve them as much as the Monster Lord. I’m not sure about the others, but at least Granberia seems like someone who can be reasoned with... provided that I prove myself worthy enough to listen to. Which is why I’m training so hard. If I want to get Granberia to listen, I’ll have to get much stronger... strong enough for her to regard me as her equal.”

 

“Strong enough to be Granberia’s equal...” Alice murmured, looking at Luka with an unreadable expression. “That’s a tall order indeed. She’s second only to the Monster Lord, and even brought her to her knees in one occasion. A mere human cannot hope to compete with her.”

 

“Even so, I must try,” Luka shook his head. “Not only for my mission’s sake, but for my pride as a warrior, as well. Being acknowledged as a worthy opponent by her... that’s the greatest praise any swordsman could aspire for.”

 

“I see,” the white-haired monster nodded, thoughtful. After a few seconds, she seemed to reach a decision, and her gaze fell on Luka again. “In that case, you should seek out the Elemental Spirits. If you manage to pass their trials, they will lend you their power. As an Elemental swordsman, you will have a much better chance of reaching Granberia’s level.”

 

“The Spirits... like Salamander, you mean?” Luka asked, curious. “I know she’s supposed to be somewhere in Northern Sentora, and I think there’s only one volcano in that area...”

 

“Gold Volcano, yes. She’s most likely there,” Alice nodded. “But I advise against going to her first. Not only are monsters in Northern Sentora much stronger than those here, or even those in the southern part of the continent, but Salamander is the strongest of the Spirits. She was Granberia’s teacher, after all.”

 

“I see. So, I should build up my experience and skills by seeking the others out first,” the boy nodded. “So, where are they?”

 

“I have no idea,” Alice admitted. “But I do know where a book detailing their position and other informations about them is. You’ll find it in San Irias, within the local library.”

 

“Wait, what? Why would a book about monster spirits be in the Church’s main city?” Luka asked, confused. “Are they keeping it sealed so that no one can read it or...?”

 

“Actually, the Monster Lord placed it there,” the Echidna replied. “She figured the best place to hide such a precious book was right under the enemy’s nose. There are so many books in that library that it’s easily concealed between them, and a small glamour was also woven on it so that normal humans cannot see it.”

 

“That’s... actually a pretty smart idea,” Luka said, impressed. “The Monster Lord thought that one out well. ‘Hide in plain sight’, and all that.”

 

“Of course she thought that one out well!” Alice exclaimed, puffing up slightly in pride. “Being Monster Lord is about more than just being able to kill anyone and anything on a whim - something the Eighth never learned. A sharp mind and quick thinking are also needed.”

 

“I don’t doubt that,” Luka mused thoughtfully. “Being the leader of all monsters must be a tough job. Between the human assassins and the issues with making so many diverse races get along peacefully... I don't think I’d be able to handle that.”

 

“Few are able to,” Alice nodded. “It’s a huge responsibility. Ruling is tougher than most people think. With that said, you’d actually do pretty well as a ruler of monsters. You’re sensible towards their problems, and are willing to spend as much time and effort as needed to find solutions that make both sides of a conflict as happy as possible. You’ve seen how popular that made you with the Harpies.”

 

“I don’t think that’s the same thing,” Luka commented with a wry smile.

 

“You’d be surprised,” Alice smiled mysteriously. “Monsters are a lot simpler than you think. But enough talking. I’m famished; let’s go get something to eat.”

 

“I agree. I’m hungry, too,” Luka nodded. Getting up off the bench, the boy and the monster headed inside, chatting animatedly.

 

----

 

“The Elemental Spirits?” Thermidor asked with a raised eyebrow as she sipped her favorite tea. “I suppose it makes sense, but... tracking them down may be another matter entirely. Salamander is the only one who should be easy to find, and that assumes she hasn’t moved elsewhere since Po met her.”

 

“I think I remember hearing something about Gnome living in Sabasa’s desert,” Wriph spoke up as she hungrily ate some spiced meat. “Humans worshipping her or whatever...”

 

“Ah, yes, I remember that too,” Thermidor nodded. “There were several shamanic tribes wandering the desert who worshipped her as the Desert Goddess. They even had a holy place dedicated to her - a temple surrounded by a small village called Safaru. Every now and then, they’d return to it and celebrate a festival in Gnome’s honor, I think.”

 

“Maybe those shamans know where I can find Gnome?” Luka asked, hopeful. Thermidor’s grimace and slow negative headshake shot that hope down.

 

“The shaman tribes are gone,” she replied. “No one knows exactly what happened to them. They just... stopped showing up. Without the shamans returning to Safaru to tend to it, it soon fell prey to the encroaching desert, and nowadays it’s just a ruined temple that no one but the desperate and foolish dare enter, due to how prone to cave-ins it is.”

 

“You seem to know quite a bit about Safaru,” Alice commented, curious. Thermidor nodded, a sudden somber expression clouding her face.

 

“I should be familiar with it,” she explained quietly. “It’s where I was killed and became as I am now. I think I told you before, but I never elaborated. Bandits kidnapped two young local girls, intending to sell them into slavery somewhere. I rescued them and set them free, but the bandits discovered us. I covered the girls’ escape, and in the ensuing fight with the bandits, part of the ruins collapsed, and we were all crushed under the debris.”

 

“Oh... right,” was Alice’s only reply. An awkward silence followed the swordswoman’s statement. Then Luka spoke up.

 

“So that’s how you became a monster? I’d never have guessed, but it does fit you. You’re always so generous,” the boy commented. “Did those two girls ever meet you again after the incident? I’d think they’d want to thank you, monster or not.”

 

“They did. In fact, I had to work hard to make them stop feeling guilty over my death and subsequent rebirth. The poor things were convinced it was all their fault,” she commented with a wry smile. “How ironic that I fell in the same emotional trap as them over my own accidental killing of a man, is it not? And then again over Liese’s death... In both cases, you were there for me, Luka. I like to think meeting you was fate’s way of rewarding me for enduring through so much misfortune.”

 

“Hahaha... you’re flattering me, now,” Luka replied, scratching his head in embarrassment at the fencer’s warm words. “But I’m glad I could help you. And you helped me after my mother died, too. Without you, who knows how I’d have turned out? Perhaps I’d have hated humans. Maybe I’d have been weak and incapable of making a difference. Or maybe I’d have become just another mindless follower of Ilias’s dogma. I don’t know...”

 

“You’d have been fine,” Milia stated with certainty. “Perhaps we’d never have met, but there’s no doubt in my mind that you’d have been a kind, friendly boy regardless, and would still have strived to help humans and monsters coexist in peace.”

 

“Maybe... but, if I have to be honest, nothing short of a way to save my mother would convince me to change the past,” Luka shook his head. “By meeting all of you, I learned so much. I still have a lot to learn, and I'm far from being as mature and experienced as I’d like to be, but... I can’t shake this feeling that things wouldn’t have been as good if I never met Thermidor.”

 

“Well, I suppose you have a point,” Alice said with a smirk. “After all, without her you’d probably still be a blushing virgin, rather than a decent lover with a beautiful Harpy wife of royal origins, not to mention children on the way...”

 

“That’s not what I was talking about, and you know it!” Luka retorted, his eye twitching. He then became thoughtful. “Although... you do have a point. I very much doubt that, without Thermidor teaching me about women and monsters, how to get along with them, and about the world in general, I’d have been able to impress Queen Sophie enough for her to want me as her lover and bear my children. I suppose... I owe Thermidor my future family, too, don’t I?”

 

“Heh... you get it. Good,” Alice nodded with a more genuine smile. “I was wondering if you’d make the connection.”

 

“Liar. You just wanted to embarrass me,” Luka replied flatly. Alice stifled a laugh behind a gloved hand.

 

“You speak as if the two activities are mutually exclusive. They aren’t,” she pointed out. Luka opened his mouth, then shut it, realizing he had no reply for that.

 

“Please don’t tease him so much,” Thermidor intruded in the conversation, coming to the boy’s rescue. “I know he’s entirely too easy to make fun of, but it would be nice if you gave him a break every now and then.”

 

“I know, I know,” Alice nodded with a theatrical roll of her eyes. “It’s just that I get an overwhelming urge to tease and molest him whenever he’s around. Must be that cute face of his. Sometimes it’s hard to resist those urges.”

 

“Ugh... well, at least it’s not an urge to rape me,” Luka muttered with a frown. Hearing that, a sly expression appeared on Alice’s face.

 

“Hmm? Again, you speak as if the two activities are mutually exclusive,” she commented in a studied casual tone as she ostensibly checked her nails. “But if you prefer, I can stop teasing and move right on to the rape...”

 

“Wh-- no, no! I was just saying!” the boy hastily denied, feeling a chill shoot down his spine. “I’m fine with the teasing, really!”

 

“Oh? Well, that’s a pity. I was looking forward to the change,” the snake monster replied with a seductive smile as she turned around and slithered off. “Well then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go lie down and take a nap. I’m feeling sleepy.”

 

Luka stared at the Echidna’s retreating form until she left the room, then sighed, slumping in defeat.

 

“She one-upped me again, didn’t she?” he asked to no one in particular, causing his companions to giggle. “I don’t even know why I bother trying to cross wits with her. She always gives me a sound thrashing...”

 

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Thermidor suggested. “She does like you. I think she just isn’t very good at interacting with people, so she resorts to teasing instead. Do remember it was thanks to her that we made up after that fight we had.”

 

“I’d like to say it was also thanks to her that we had that fight in the first place, but I suspect you’d have gotten mad even if I’d been the one to tell you about Harpy Village,” Luka frowned. “It’d be unkind of me to blame her for that. I should’ve been more forthcoming with you.”

 

“While that is true, Alice also had a good point about me intruding in your private life,” Thermidor admitted. “I apologize for that. Who you marry and decide to have children with is your business only.”

 

“I suppose we both messed up, huh?” the boy replied with a smile. “All things considered, Alice’s teasing also serves a purpose. It teaches me patience. I wonder if that’s her intention when she does it? I know she’s not nearly as shallow as she pretends to be. It’s only been glimpses and fleeting sightings so far, but I saw a certain depth - and perhaps some internal torment - in her. I don’t know what her secret is, but I hope she’ll tell me one day. I’d like to help her, if at all possible.”

 

“Secrets, eh... We all have some, don’t we? Even you and I. Especially you and I, in fact...” Thermidor mused. At Luka’s questioning glance, she shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not relevant yet, and once it is, I’ll be sure to tell you. Just trust me for the time being.”

 

“There’s no need to ask me for that, Thermidor,” was Luka’s smiling reply. “If I can't trust my beloved sister, who am I supposed to have faith in?”

 

“Thank you, Luka,” was Thermidor’s answer as she hugged him.

 

Outside the room, Alice adopted a thoughtful expression before silently slithering off, mulling over what she’d just overheard.

 

Internal torment, huh... she thought as she returned to her room. Am I really that transparent? Or maybe it’s just that he’s sensible enough to pick up on things like these. Maybe, it’d be nice to just talk with him about it...

 

----

 

The next day, Luka, Alice and Thermidor finally departed the forest ruins for good, aiming straight for Iliasport. Having reorganized his inventory, Luka was now only carrying Angel Halo, Thermidor’s mysterious sword, his standard equipment including the new pieces he’d gotten in Enrika Village, and a backpack containing camping supplies, two small jars of Happiness Honey, dried food, and a small sum of gold the Elves had insisted he take with him, citing how traveling past Ilias Continent with little money would prove prohibitively hard.

 

They urged him to scout around for jobs in any new town he came to, as well, and to never turn down a reward; engaging in side jobs would give him much needed practice and experience in various things, and as much as he might be tempted to refuse rewards, taking small sums of money would both do justice to his skills at solving other people’s problems and allow him to face unexpected difficulties that he might need funds to overcome.

 

Luka thanked them for the advice and, after a few more words, he and his companions finally left the ruins, taking the main road to the north towards Iliasport. As they began walking, Luka once again felt electrified: it wasn’t the first time he was leaving Ilias Village’s area, but this time, he was leaving on a trip that would bring him across the sea - to the unknown lands of Sentora, and beyond. The thought of seeing new lands, with their different uses and costumes, was exciting, and his new goal - to seek out the Spirits and obtain their approval and assistance - promised to be an adventure full of new experiences and challenges.

 

With the trio being able to make good time thanks to no monsters attacking, they progressed down the road faster than they had the first time, and when the sun set, they stopped to camp for the night in the forest before Iliasburg, choosing a small clearing near a pond. To Luka’s delight, there were fish in the pond, and he wasted no time in fashioning a fishing pole out of broken branches and some string, using bits of other food as lure. It took a while, given the crude nature of his tools, but he was eventually able to catch four or five trouts, and he quickly set about cleaning and salting them for conservation near the campfire they had built.

 

As Luka busied himself with his work, he heard a rustling sound, and set down the food and seasoning, reaching for his sword as he scanned the surroundings with suspicion. Thermidor and Alice soon joined him, having also heard the noise. As the three scanned the dark forest around them, the boy caught a movement in the underbrush to the side, and a moment later, what appeared to be a plant monster emerged from it, looking with curiosity and some wariness at their campsite.

 

Luka blinked at the new arrival, then his eyes lit up in recognition as he saw the large clump of grass growing from the dark-skinned plant girl’s head. Lowering his sword, he looked at Alice to his side.

 

“Hey... this is the Mandragora from the other time, isn’t it?” he asked her, nodding towards the monster, who was still circling them with caution, obviously afraid of the fire. The Echidna nodded back.

 

“Yes. I recognize her,” she confirmed. “I wonder what she’s doing here? I guess the fire attracted her.”

 

As Luka and Alice talked, the Mandragora spotted the Echidna, and her eyes lit up. Waving, she drew a little closer, smiling.

 

“Ah! Hello, my Lady! It’s good to see you again!” she greeted her in a musical voice. “I came here to get some water. I didn’t expect to run into anyone at this time of night.”

 

“Good to see you, too,” Alice nodded back, shooting her a warning look unseen by Luka. The Mandragora picked up on that and nodded slightly as Alice continued talking. “I assume you’re keeping out of trouble?”

 

“Of course. I avoid the main road now, and so far no human has come close enough to disturb me,” she replied. She then cast a curious glance at Luka. “Um... if I may ask, would that boy beside you be the one you told me about?”

 

“Hmm. Yes, he is,” the Echidna nodded slowly. “Is there anything you want to tell him?”

 

“I do, yes,” the plant girl nodded. Looking at Luka, she bowed slightly at him with a grateful expression on her face. “Thank you for your concern. I didn’t know about the temple down south - I don’t interact with humans or monsters much. You probably saved me a lot of trouble... the day after you passed through, a group of humans on horses rode down the road, and there was a creepy air about them. If I’d still been there...”

 

“Huh, that sounds like it was a close call,” Luka frowned. He then smiled at the monster. “I’m glad to see you’re all right, though. That’s what’s important. Stay away from those types... they aren’t worth the effort, and wouldn’t be reasonable anyway.”

 

“I figured as much,” she nodded. She then looked at him thoughtfully, crossing her arms below her breasts. “I still feel like I should thank you in a more tangible way, though... Ah, I know! How would you like to have one of my leaves? Mandragora parts are highly sought after by humans for potions and the like. We obviously don’t like being harvested like that, since humans tend to kill us to do it, but I wouldn’t mind sharing a little bit of my body with you. It could come in handy.”

 

“Ehhh... but won’t that hurt?” Luka asked, dubious. The Mandragora shook her head.

 

“I’ll tell you how to take parts so that there’s no pain and only minimal discomfort,” she reassured him. “Don’t worry, I really don’t mind. I owe you one, after all.” She then licked her lips suggestively, her eyes narrowing. “Or were you looking for a more... pleasant reward?”

 

“Ah, I’ll pass on that one. Unless you’re hungry...?” Luka replied. The Mandragora shook her head negatively. “Then I hope you don’t mind if I refuse. It’s not that I find you ugly or anything, but... well... I’ve become a little cautious of fooling around with monsters without thinking.”

 

“Mmm. Well, it wouldn’t be a reward if I forced you, so I’ll do as you say,” the Mandragora said with a shrug. “Now then... a little bit of root and a few pieces of leaf should be enough. Do you have something sharp with which to cut?”

 

Luka nodded, quickly walking back to where he’d been working on the fish. Picking up the kitchen knife he’d been using, he carefully cleaned it in a bucket of spring water near him, then dried it. Returning to the Mandragora, he eyed her apprehensively, hesitating.

 

“Are you sure this is going to be all right...? I’d feel terrible if I hurt you for no good reason at all,” he asked her one more time. The plant monster waved his concerns aside.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s fine!” she restated, then she broke into a small smile. “I do appreciate the concern, though. It’s touching. Lady Alice was right - you’re a very nice and helpful human. I don’t mind a bit of discomfort to help you, and I know a few bits of me will be useful to you. You can sell them for money or make powerful potions out of them, you know!”

 

“Um. Okay, if you say so...” Luka hesitantly replied, still appearing unsure as he approached her. In the next few minutes, he carefully followed the Mandragora’s instructions, delicately cutting into her leaves and roots to remove small parts of her and setting them down on a waiting cloth. Throughout the operation, he insisted on cleaning the cuts with fresh water and dressing them, and after fruitlessly trying to reassure him, the Mandragora shrugged and let him tend to her however he liked, blushing slightly at the attention.

 

Eventually, Luka found himself with enough bits of leaf to make up about a half leaf, and two handfuls of root fragments, while the Mandragora sported a new ‘haircut’, and a few bandages here and there on her legs. The boy meticulously gathered the gifts, packing them up and storing them in his backpack, then rinsed the knife and set it down near the other kitchen implements. Turning around, he walked back to the plant girl, gave her a critical once-over and nodded, satisfied that she didn’t seem to be in pain or doing anything resembling bleeding.

 

“Well, that’s done,” he nodded to her. “Thank you for your generous gifts. It’s more than I deserve. I’ll be sure to put them to good use.”

 

“You’re welcome, and you deserve that and more,” the monster replied with a grin. “I’m sorry I can’t give you anything else, but... I don’t own much. Still, if you’re ever in the area and feel frustrated and in need to unwind, look for me. I’d be glad to keep you company and help you relax.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” the boy smiled back. “The situation’s a bit... complex right now, but things may change. If that happens, and I need that sort of help, I’ll certainly remember your offer. Thank you again.”

 

“Right, then. I’ll be taking my water and leave,” the Mandragora said. “Good luck on your travels, wherever you go. Stay safe, kind human.”

 

With that, the plant girl approached the pond, drank some water, stored some more in a rolled-up leaf, and left the camp, waving at the gathered trio as she departed. Luka watched her until the night swallowed her form, then shook his head, grinning happily.

 

“It’s true that a good deed is always rewarded,” he commented, clearly in a good mood. “Episodes like these make all the effort I go through seem worth it. Well, then... let’s finish preparing that fish, then turn in for the night. And tomorrow, I’ll have to try and remember the passages in Mother’s books about preserving Mandragora parts...”

 

As he walked off, whistling, Alice and Thermidor followed him with their eyes. The Echidna then sighed, shaking her head.

 

“There he goes again, being all happy for small things,” she murmured. She then smiled faintly. “But I guess that’s what makes him the person he is. It takes so little to bring him so much joy. Well, I think I’ll go to sleep. Good night, Thermidor.”

 

“Good night. I’ll take guard duty, so rest easy,” the fencer replied. Turning around to give the happy boy one last look, she smiled as well, then sat down on a rock at the edge of the camp and began her night guard.

 

----

 

The next day, the group woke up at dawn. Thermidor immediately busied herself with packing up their belongings and cleaning the area of refuse. Meanwhile, Luka decided to begin his morning training. As he stretched and warmed up, Alice approached him and stopped a ways away, sitting on a rock near the pond and observing him with interest. Luka shot her a questioning glance, but the Echidna remained where she was, watching quietly. Shrugging, the boy began his practice; he didn’t mind Alice watching him train, as she often had something interesting to say afterwards, and being observed was an incentive to perform well.

 

For the next hour, Luka went through his entire repertoire of moves, from the basics to his two Cursed Sword skills, paying special attention to Demon Skull Beheading as he further worked on its execution. Through it all, Alice watched him intently, and halfway through, she was joined by Thermidor, who had finished packing up. Both women remained silent during his training, so as not to distract him, though Luka occasionally glimpsed a nod of approval from the fencer or an appreciative look from the snake monster.

 

As he reached the end of his exercises and wound down, letting his muscles relax, Alice got up from the rock she was sitting on and approached him.

 

“Very good. Your mastery of the Cursed Sword improves with every day,” she said with an approving look. “I just might have something else to teach you in the near future. In fact, it’s something you should already know - Demon Skull Beheading is an intermediate skill of a higher level, and Cursed Swordsmen normally learn it after mastering the two lesser skills that come before it. You already know one - Demon Decapitation. The other is what I’m thinking of teaching you.”

 

“I’d be glad to learn from you, as always,” Luka told her, unable to conceal his interest. “So what does this new skill do?”

 

“Patience. You should work on your other skills a little longer,” she advised him. “Besides, I want to ask you a question, first. Are you sure you want to learn more? You already know two Cursed Sword skills - that’s something most monster warriors can manage, and even some humans can do it. But learning three or more... do that, and you will officially become a Cursed Swordsman - like Granberia. That’s not something a Hero would normally aspire to. Cursed Swordsmen are more closely associated with dark pacts and powers, and a few of them ended up seduced by darkness and became dangerous to those around them in the past. I think you have the strength of mind to master the Cursed Sword, rather than be dominated by it, but... do you want to do it? You may have to eventually give up the title of ‘Hero’ if you keep walking down this path. People will be naturally afraid of dark skills like those, and you may find your life difficult.”

 

Luka was silent for a while after Alice finished talking, appearing lost in thought. Eventually, he seemed to reach a decision, and looked up at her again, a determined expression on his face.

 

“Yeah... I want to keep learning,” he said. “I need to become stronger, so that I can better help and protect people in need, and also so that Granberia will acknowledge me. It’s true that I may be branded as evil by the more hide-bound individuals out there simply based on my using monster skills, but... so long as I do good and act the way a Hero should, I’m sure there’ll always be people who can see past the dark skills I use and recognize my intentions. And as long as that happens, everything will be fine.”

 

“Hmph. I imagined you’d say that,” Alice commented, unsurprised. “Just so you know: Cursed Swordsmen are meant to defend monsterkind from threats, help those who are in need, and maintain order in the name of the Monster Lord. Does that sound familiar to you?”

 

“Wait... so they’re monster Heroes?” Luka blinked, surprised. “Then there’s no difference! What was the point of that question?”

 

“I was curious to see how you would react to the perspective of no longer being a Hero in the eyes of humans,” Alice admitted. “It was a test. And you passed. That open-mindedness will serve you well. Just remember: no matter what, someone, somewhere, will see you as a Hero. Whether you’re a Hero of Man or a Dark Hero of Monsters, the essence of what you do will not change.”

 

“I... see,” Luka murmured, giving Alice a puzzled look. “Alice... just who are you, exactly? You seem to know so much about so many things...”

 

“Hmm, well... consider this another test. Let’s see how close you can come to guessing who I am in the coming days,” she commented, smiling slightly. “I’ll tell you, eventually. Or you might guess it on your own before then. It should be an interesting intellectual challenge, don’t you think?”

 

“A challenge, eh? I never back away from those. Fine, from now on I’ll keep my eyes peeled for clues when you’re around,” Luka smirked, looking fired up. “I already have my ideas about your identity, but nothing concrete. Even so, I’ll figure it out! I’ll show you I can use my mind as well as my sword!”

 

“I look forward to seeing how sharp your mind can be,” Alice replied with a smile. “Don’t disappoint me, now. I expect you to at least get reasonably close to the right answer.”

 

With that, the Echidna slithered off, heading to the pond to refresh herself. Left alone with Luka, Thermidor blinked, looking surprised, then gave the boy an appraising look.

 

“Interesting. Now she’s challenging your wits,” she murmured, cocking her head. “I wonder what her plans for you are.”

 

“You know who she truly is, don’t you?” Luka said, looking at her. She frowned.

 

“Yes, I do, but--” she began, but the boy cut her off with a wave.

 

“Then be sure not to talk about it until either she does or I figure it out,” he asked her. “Don’t even drop hints. There’s no point to a personal challenge if I need someone else’s help to overcome it. I want to see if I can connect the dots alone, and training the mind is as important as training the body if I want to avoid conflicts in the future.” He then gave the fencer a lopsided smile. “Besides, it’ll be more entertaining this way. It’s like reading a book - what fun is there in having the ending spoiled for you?”

 

Having said his piece, Luka left a surprised Thermidor and headed for the pond as well, intending to get refreshed and prepare to resume the trip. As he did, Alice returned from the spring and approached the monster swordswoman.

 

“So, what did you two talk about?” she inquired. “I assume he asked you about my identity? It’d be a logical first step for anyone.”

 

“He did ask me if I knew who you were,” Thermidor replied. “But when I told him I did, he stopped me before I could say any more, and told me to keep it to myself. He said he wants to figure this out on his own, and that it’d be more interesting if he got no clues from me.”

 

“Hah! Did he, now?” the Echidna laughed, looking delighted. “Very nice. He’s facing this trial fair and square. You know, I think that once we get to Sentora, I’ll tell him the truth. I’ve kept it to myself long enough, and if I withhold that knowledge any longer, it may cause issues in the future.”

 

“Hmmm... I see,” Thermidor nodded thoughtfully. “That may be good timing. I’ve been thinking, myself.”

 

“Oh? About what?” Alice questioned. The fencer briefly looked at her, then shook her head.

 

“I won’t say just yet,” she said as she turned around to go fetch her travel bag. “We’ll all talk about it once we get to the mainland. I still need to think about whether I want to do things this way or not, and we might as well get everything in the open at once, don’t you agree?”

 

“Mmm. Fine, let’s do it your way,” Alice nodded at the other monster as she slithered after her. “After all, I have things to think about, as well.”

 

----

 

A little later, the group resumed their journey. Soon enough, they came into view of Iliasburg, but Luka elected to not stop there. He felt his group had all the supplies they needed, and since they had only recently left camp, they were still well-rested and full of energy. His companions agreed with him, although Alice coyly suggested that he just wanted to avoid confronting the monster girls again. To her surprise, Luka didn’t deny it, merely giving her an odd look and raising an eyebrow.

 

The journey north was fairly uneventful, save for a brief scuffle with a Leech Girl that attacked out of nowhere, refusing to sit down and talk, and was quickly defeated by an annoyed Luka using his new skills. Eventually, the group reached the edge of a forest, and at that point Thermidor raised a hand and called for them to stop. Her companions complied, shooting her a questioning glance.

 

“It’s almost dusk. We should make camp outside this forest,” she explained. “I remember some of Iliasburg’s locals mentioning there are several plant monsters in there, and they are more active at night. I can see in the dark well enough, but Luka would be at a severe disadvantage, and monsters are going to aim for him. It would be best if we spend the night out in the open and resume our journey tomorrow.”

 

“I agree,” Alice nodded. “Besides, walking around in a forest at night is annoying. There’s all sorts of things you can walk into or trip on, not to mention pit traps left by hunters and the like.”

 

“Yeah, stopping’s the best idea,” Luka agreed as well. “Besides, I was getting a little hungry. There’s a small river nearby... I’m going to see if I can catch fresh fish for dinner. Otherwise, we can always eat the preserved ones I caught yesterday.”

 

“Whatever you cook, I know it’ll be delicious, so I’ll leave it to you,” Alice told him with a smile. “Just don’t take too long. I noticed only now, but I’m very hungry, and wouldn’t mind a good meal.”

 

“Sure, leave it to me,” Luka said, looking embarrassed over her sudden praise of his cooking skills. Setting down his backpack, he quickly collected the materials needed to fashion a rudimental fishing pole and left for the small river, taking Angel Halo with him just in case. Once he left, Thermidor looked at Alice, raising an eyebrow.

 

“How come that whenever you have a choice between food cooked by Luka over a simple campfire with unsophisticated ingredients and fine dishes made by the best chefs in a town, you always prefer Luka’s food? I thought you were a gourmet,” she asked. Alice shot her a glance that made it clear she thought the question was dumb.

 

“I am a gourmet. Luka’s cooking is simply that good,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “”If he weren’t on this journey of his, I’d already have taken him back to my castle and made him my personal chef. I don’t know how he does it, but he makes even food I’d normally find revolting look and taste amazing. In fact, I’d wager there are a lot of high-ranking monsters out there who’d want him as their cook, as well.”

 

“Admittedly, his food does taste very good,” Thermidor nodded. “Its taste and smell even managed to make me hungry, and I hadn’t felt hungry since I became like this. Although... Liese’s food smelled even more incredible. She is the one who got me hooked on herbal teas, and while the one Luka makes me daily is good, it is honestly nothing compared to what she could do.”

 

“I wish I’d gotten to meet this woman,” Alice murmured. “Not only does she sound like she was an incredible cook, but she did a fine job in raising Luka. If only all human mothers in the world were like her...”

 

“I think Liese was more unique than rare, regardless of species,” Thermidor shook her head. “Between her being a witch, her husband being a Hero, and her having to raise someone else’s son--”

 

“Hm? Someone else’s?” Alice inquired as Thermidor realized her slip and abruptly shut up. “Is that part of that whole ‘secret’ about Luka you’re so reluctant to talk about?”

 

“...Forget I said anything. And don’t say a word to Luka!” the fencer snapped, irritated at herself for letting her tongue slip like that. “I’ll tell him when the time is right.”

 

“Well... this is none of my business, seeing how it’s a family matter...” Alice commented after a brief silence. “But if you ask me, it’d be better to tell him sooner than later. The longer you wait, the more likely he is to feel betrayed over you keeping the truth to yourself for so long, even if you did it to protect him. Plus, hiding important things from your family can have disastrous consequences,” she added, becoming serious and somewhat somber. “Trust me... I learned that in the hardest possible way.”

 

With that, she slithered off, heading to her designated sleeping spot. Thermidor watched her as she left, frowning.

 

“I know that very well,” she murmured inaudibly. “But I’m not sure telling him his beloved mother wasn’t his mother would be a good idea...”

 

----

 

Like Alice predicted, dinner was delicious: Luka had the good fortune of finding freshwater prawns in the river, and immediately caught a handful, well aware of their status as delicacies in the kitchen. Thus, to Alice’s delight, the evening meal was not only tasty, but also fairly luxurious. When asked, Luka admitted that her praise made him want to try extra hard for that evening’s dinner, prompting a giggle from the Echidna and a raised eyebrow from Thermidor. Thankfully, both refrained from teasing him over it.

 

After cleaning up the area, Luka got ready for his evening practice. As he did, however, Alice approached him, looking as if she wanted to tell him something. He paused, giving her a questioning look.

 

“So then,” she began, giving him a serious look that got his full attention. “Are you still determined to keep mastering the Cursed Sword?”

 

“Yeah, I am,” Luka nodded, seeing where she was going. “I assume you wanted to teach me that other skill you mentioned?”

 

“Yes. In fact, it’s well suited to you, when I think about it,” she confirmed. “Very well, then. Since you seem to have made up your mind, I won’t waste any more time. Just remember, this is the road you chose of your own will. Now, then, for this skill...”

 

In the next half hour, Alice explained the theory between the new skill: a lightning-fast thrust attack designed to take full advantage of the user’s speed and reaction time in order to take the opponent by surprise and score a clean hit. After a bit of coaching on how to position himself, Luka began to practice, and found himself fairly comfortable with the new skill. As Alice said, it almost felt like it was designed with his particular fighting style in mind, focusing on speed and momentum rather than raw power.

 

Luka kept practicing until it became too dark to see properly even with the nearby campfire, then finally decided he’d had enough and sheathed Angel Halo, satisfied. He liked the new skill, and found it easier to grasp than Demon Skull Beheading, which made sense as Alice mentioned it was a lower-level skill that required less technique to use.

 

As he set his sword aside and got ready to refresh and turn in for the night, he stopped by Alice and inquired about the new move, as was his habit by now. Alice gave him an amused look.

 

“You do know this is going to be another one of those stories you define ‘ghastly and morbid’, right?” she asked him cheekily. Luka rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes, I imagined that’d be the case,” he answered. “But I’m still curious. I like to know the story behind the moves I use, even if I’ll end up thinking it’s horribly creepy afterwards.”

 

“Curiosity killed the cat, as you humans are so fond of saying,” Alice pointed out with a smirk, then shrugged. “Well, if you really want to know... that move is called Bloody Fissure Thunder Thrust. It was created and used by Bloody Fernandez, an Elf champion, to rapidly stab her enemies in succession, cutting a bloody swath through their ranks in one fell swoop.”

 

“Never mind creepy, that name’s too long,” Luka snorted. “Any enemy could have breakfast and a shower in the time it takes to say it. I’ll just call it Thunder Thrust.”

 

“I see you chose the less ghastly part of the name,” Alice said with a knowing smirk. “Should I assume it’s purely coincidence?”

 

“Yes, it’s nothing but a coincidence,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “And if you believe that, can I perhaps interest you in purchasing a temple down south? It’s in fairly good condition, though there are some decorations in very poor taste in it, and there’s a rat infestation... the two-legged kind. But that’s a problem easily taken care of.”

 

Alice threw her head back and laughed out loud at that, genuinely amused. Luka couldn’t help but smile himself - he still thought her laughter was a very pleasant sound when it was genuine.

 

“Hahaha... not bad, not bad at all,” the Echidna commented, still chuckling. “I like this side of you. You should do that more often.”

 

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” was Luka’s reply as he rolled his eyes again. “Come on, now, let’s go to bed.”

 

“Oh? Is that an invitation? How bold,” Alice teased him with a grin, seizing the chance. Luka stumbled at that, then shot her a dirty look.

 

“Again, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Now please go to bed. Alone,” he said in an annoyed tone. “Geez, it’s too late in the evening for this...”

 

“You’re still too green, Luka,” Alice chuckled under her breath as she headed to her sleeping spot. As she coiled around the tree she’d chosen to sleep on, she briefly stopped to think, licking her lips.

 

Maybe next time she’d have some fun with him instead of just teasing.

 

----

 

The next day the group began to cross the forest ahead. According to the map, this was the last obstacle before the Ilias continent’s northern coast - and Iliasport. As Luka walked through the woods, he couldn’t help but look around with interest. Some of the trees in this area he’d never seen before. Talking about it with Thermidor revealed that the plants in this forest were of a variety commonly found near saltwater, which explained the differences with the inland forest they’d crossed earlier in their journey.

 

As he looked around, his eyes fell on what appeared to be a large red-and-white flower a bit further in, and he stopped and hid behind a tree, suddenly wary. He was pretty sure he’d seen this plant in one of the books on monsters he’d read. Noticing his movements, Thermidor approached him, curious.

 

“Hm? Luka, why did you stop? Is something--” she began, but abruptly stopped as she spotted the giant flower ahead. Crouching slightly, she made sure to reduce noise to a minimum, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

 

“That’s a Rafflesia Girl,” she murmured as she looked around. As she expected, Alice had vanished. Her eyes returned on the flower monster, on which two female torsos could now be seen. “It’s a variety of simple-minded tropical plant monster found near coastal areas, and doesn’t usually attack humans, but tends to be aggressive and unreasonable during pollinating season, when looking for a mate. Come to think of it, we should be in the middle of it. We should try to sneak around her, otherwise a fight will be inevitable. Rafflesia Girls don’t require male semen to live, anyway - only to reproduce - so she won’t go hungry or anything.”

 

“They are immobile, right?” Luka whispered as he kept an eye on the still-oblivious plant. Thermidor shook her head.

 

“They can move around... slowly, and for short periods only before they must take root again,” she replied. “But they have long-reaching vines, and become aware of people near them past a certain point due to their roots picking vibrations up. Fortunately, the soil here is soft, and makes our footsteps less noticeable. Let’s try going around her.”

 

“Right. I’d rather avoid a fight with monsters like these,” he nodded as he began to quietly sneak in a crouching stance. “They’re just trying to keep their species going. I don’t have the heart to fault them for it, even if they can be rough about it.”

 

With that, Luka and Thermidor both fell silent and began to cautiously sneak around the flower monster ahead, keeping to the soft ground so as not to alert her with the noise of snapped branches and feet tromping on dirt. Moving quickly and quietly, they managed to stay behind cover and avoid detection, and before long, they were far enough from the Rafflesia Girl to breathe a sigh of relief. As they stood up, dusted themselves and resumed marching, Alice rejoined them as usual, and approached Luka, looking pleased.

 

“I see you managed to avoid a fight with that Rafflesia Girl,” she told him. “That’s good. It’s pollinating season for her kind, and they don’t really take ‘no’ for an answer, but they’re very simple monsters, and don’t really understand why a man wouldn’t want to feel pleasure, either.”

 

“Yeah, Thermidor mentioned something like that,” Luka nodded. “And I didn’t really want to beat a monster up over her just following her reproductive instincts, either. Since I had a chance to avoid a confrontation entirely, I took it. That way-- hm?”

 

Luka suddenly fell silent mid-phrase as his eyes narrowed, looking at Thermidor and then back at Alice.

 

“Is it just me or has the forest gone quiet?” he murmured, his hand reaching for his sword. “It can’t be that Rafflesia Girl. The forest was noisy as usual around her, probably because she was harmless. Whatever this is...”

 

“Ah, it’s that type,” Alice interrupted him, narrowing her eyes as she scanned the surroundings. She then looked back at Luka. “You may want to get the first strike in this time. This monster isn’t really the type you can negotiate with. Just a warning...”

 

“Huh? She’s encouraging me to attack first?” Luka commented with a raised eyebrow as Alice vanished before his eyes. “That can’t be good...”

 

As if on cue, a rustling was heard from the underbrush ahead, and a female head with long, black hair popped out, looking around. Upon seeing Luka, a malicious expression appeared on her face, and she came out in the open, revealing the rest of her body. Luka froze and then immediately unsheathed and raised his sword upon seeing her full figure.

 

“No way! A Roper Girl, here?!” he muttered as he stared at the mass of tentacles that made up the monster’s body. He became instantly alert, knowing very well how rare and dangerous the monster before him was. Ropers were known, even among other man-eaters, as very cruel and sadistic, and even their fellow monsters avoided them, due to their unpleasant personalities.

 

“Oh? A nice, tasty looking boy. It’s been a long time since I had such a delicious treat...” the monster said as she advanced towards Luka, her tentacles twitching in the air. The boy frowned.

 

“You don’t really think I’m just going to let you eat me, do you?” he asked as he took a modified fighting stance. Not waiting for an answer, he attacked first, unleashing his newest move - Thunder Thrust. Stepping in like lightning, he sharply thrust at the surprised monster’s torso, and was rewarded with a satisfying thwack and a cry of surprise as she reeled back from the hit.

 

“Nngh...? What...? That sword’s doing something...” the Roper grunted as she recovered from the attack. Her eyes then narrowed, looking at Luka. “No matter, I’m still going to eat you. Come here, now!”

 

At those words, two tentacles suddenly shot out, aiming for Luka’s midsection in an attempt to wrap around him. Reacting immediately, the boy dodged the attack, taking a few steps back and to the side before raising his sword again.

 

Tch, she has enormous range, he thought. Staying far away will only give her an advantage, but if I’m too close and she manages to restrain me, it’ll be bad. Let’s see...

 

“Luka, do you need help?” Thermidor’s voice reached him from behind, a note of worry in it. Keeping his eyes on the Roper Girl, he shook his head.

 

“I’ll do this alone, but thanks for the offer,” he replied, beginning to circle around the tentacled monster. “Besides, this is the kind of monster I’ll have to deal with all the time if I’m serious about this journey. I can’t let a man-eating monster like this run around this place unchecked.”

 

“And what can a little boy like you do?” the monster mockingly answered as she slowly crept towards him, looking for an opening to seize him. “I’ll admit that you caught me by surprise, but it won’t happen again, and once I grab you, it’s all over!”

 

Her tentacles shot out again as she spoke, attempting to take advantage of Luka’s distraction, but the boy had only feigned lowering his guard, and deftly dodged the attack. However, he was unable to capitalize on the miss, as the Roper Girl had grown cautious and kept several tentacles close to her in case he tried a thrusting attack again.

 

Luka frowned. He could see where the battle was going, and didn’t like it at all. The Roper was clearly aiming to exhaust him by forcing him to dodge, relying on her monster body’s superior durability, until he became slow enough for her tentacles to grab him and reel him in, where she’d devour him. As he observed her, however, he could see that there was a certain impatience to her sudden attacks, and a daring plan began to form in his mind. If this fails, I’ll have to hope Thermidor can save me before the worst happens, and I’m pretty sure she won’t let me continue my journey regardless, he thought as his lips tightened in a thin line. But it seems to be my best bet. Well, here goes nothing...

 

Having made up his mind, Luka once again began to circle the Roper. Purposely, he let himself be herded towards a bunch of roots, and when he judged the time was right, he intentionally tripped on one, appearing to lose his balance.

 

As he expected, the Roper seized the opportunity he dangled in her face and lashed out with her tentacles, grabbing onto his left arm with a triumphant shout. She then began to pull him in with a hungry leer.

 

“Come on, now. It’s lunchtime,” she chuckled, licking her lips. “Don’t worry, you’ll love every minute of me eating you...”

 

“Again...” Luka replied as he strained against her pull. “Do you think... I’ll let you... just eat me?”

 

As he shouted the last words, Luka suddenly stopped resisting her pull and instead darted forward, allowing the force of her pull to add to his momentum. Caught by surprise, the Roper was left completely open, and Luka wasted no time in taking his chance. With a war cry, he aimed straight at her main body and, pushing his body as hard as he could, he put every ounce of his strength behind a single, powerful attack to her chest.

 

“Thunder Thrust!” he cried out as he drove his sword forward. The magic blade struck right between the Roper’s breasts, and the momentum was sufficient to send it clean through her torso. The monster cried out in shock, then began to unravel before Luka’s eyes, and within a few short instants, it was gone, leaving a tiny tentacle-creature in its place.

 

“Think about what you’re doing wrong while you’re in that form,” Luka sternly said to the sealed monster as he sheathed his sword. “I can understand having to eat humans to survive, but taking pleasure in doing so is wrong. Stop it, or you’ll pay the price of your cruelty sooner or later.”

 

The tiny tentacle monster waved its small appendages around, and Luka was unsure whether it was in acceptance or fury. Then, it turned around and scuttled away in the undergrowth, disappearing from sight. Luka sighed and turned around as well, rejoining Thermidor, who gave him a look of pleased approval.

 

“Using the enemy’s own strength to add to your own attack and deliver a one-hit kill... very well done, Luka,” she said, her pride for her pupil apparent in her voice. “If this keeps up, you’ll match, and even surpass, me in no time.”

 

“Hahaha, well... it was the one chance I thought I had,” Luka replied honestly. “That Roper was being too defensive, and fighting her in a conventional fashion would’ve gotten me engulfed in those tentacles. I had to take a chance and aim for a one-hitter quitter, or I’d have lost by attrition.”

 

“Even so, Thermidor is right,” Alice’s voice spoke up as she reappeared, approaching him. “That was quick thinking on your behalf, and you made excellent use of your strong points while turning the Roper’s own strength against her. Very well done. Although, I’m afraid her kind isn’t likely to reform from their ways. Unfortunately, Ropers have always been fairly malevolent. Don’t count on her to stop taking pleasure in eating humans.”

 

“Who knows? Maybe she’s an exception,” Luka replied, frowning. “I’m going to give her this one chance. But if she does it again...”

 

“Then what? Will you kill her?” Alice asked him, a neutral expression on her face. Luka sighed.

 

“I’ll do what I have to, regardless of whether I like it or not,” he concluded. “I pray it doesn’t come to having to use lethal force, though. Maybe this experience will wisen her up.”

 

“You’re too lenient, but I appreciate how you’re willing to give everyone a second chance,” the Echidna commented with a smile. Luka’s frown became a scowl.

 

“Not everyone, no,” he muttered as he turned around and resumed walking down the road. Alice blinked, confused.

 

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked Thermidor. The fencer shook her head.

 

“No, not really. You just reminded him of something unpleasant, that’s all,” she told the serpentine monster. “Do you remember what I said about Ilias Kreuz shortly before we reached Iliasburg the first time?”

 

“Oh. Them,” Alice nodded, understanding dawning on her face. She then gave Thermidor a dubious look. “But surely, he wouldn’t go so far as to kill his fellow humans, would he?”

 

“He wouldn’t. But he doesn’t view Ilias Kreuz as humans,” the fencer sighed as she began walking at a brisk pace to catch up with Luka. Alice stared at her, surprised. “He considers them to be lower than pond scum, and acts accordingly. I really don’t want to see what would happen should one of those people provoke him into a rage. I have this feeling that he’d do something we’d all regret...”

 

With those words, the monster swordswoman hurried away towards the fuming boy in the distance. Alice paused, taking in what she had learned today, then slithered off after her companions, thoughtful. She’d always thought Luka’s forgiveness applied to even the worst criminals, but apparently even he had something that could make him capable of dreadful violence.

 

As she raced to reach her companions, she privately wondered if she’d ever see Luka’s more savage, primal side. The thought somewhat thrilled her.

 

----

 

The remainder of the trip was devoid of any incidents. Luka commented on that, pointing out how strange it was that a lush forest like the one they were in was so free of monsters. Alice’s answer surprised him: according to her, there were plenty of monsters nearby, but they were all giving them a wide berth after he’d defeated the Roper. It seemed she’d been the strongest monster in the forest, and defeating her caused all others to consider Luka off-limits as a target.

 

The revelation gave Luka mixed feelings; on one hand, having defeated the boss of the forest made him the strongest being in that area, which was something he felt proud about. On the other hand, however, he didn’t want monsters to be afraid of him. After all, he was trying to help, not begin a reign of terror.

 

Luka was still thinking about the situation when they finally reached the edge of the forest and walked out of the treeline. Setting his thoughts aside for later, he shifted his attention to the land ahead and took a good look at Ilias Continent’s northern coast for the first time in his life. He exhaled, awed.

 

Before him was a vast grassland, with a few trees dotting the panorama here and there. To the north and slightly to the east, he could see Iliasport’s buildings in the distance. Around the city, the grass gave way to sand, and then his vision was filled with nothing but the ocean’s azure waters. He stopped, looking at the sight before him. He knew the ocean was huge, but he still felt small all of a sudden: the vastness of the waters before him dwarfed even the impression he’d received from the Irina mountain range.

 

“Wow...” Luka spoke for the first time, still taking in the view. “I’ve never seen this much water in one place before. And I can’t see the other side at all! Things like these make humans and monsters look irrelevant, don’t they?”

 

“Hmm,” Thermidor nodded in agreement. “Seeing the ocean always manages to make me feel humble. It drives home just how big the world is, and how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. Sure, there are some among us who have the power to change the fate of nations... but in the end, the sea and the land were here long before our ancestors, and will be here long after all we have built has returned to dust.”

 

“I see,” Luka murmured as he gazed at the sea in the distance. He then looked at his companions, an excited light in his eyes. “All of a sudden I can’t wait to get on a ship and cross over to the other side. This is going to be awesome!”

 

“Geez, look at you, getting all worked up over a boat trip,” Alice scoffed, then shook her head, smiling slightly. “But to be honest, I was pretty excited the first time I saw the sea, myself. I played with the waves all day, and had to be dragged away from the beach at sunset. It was fun.”

 

“Playing on the beach does sound nice... maybe we could all have fun together before we set sail?” Luka suggested. The Echidna blinked, then smiled again, chuckling quietly.

 

“Sure, why not? I’d love to,” she agreed. “I miss playing around in the sand.”

 

“Then it’s settled,” the boy Hero grinned. “Let’s put some space between us and the forest and then set up camp. Judging by the distance, we should be able to reach Iliasport tomorrow in the late afternoon if we set out early in the morning. And once we’re there, we can have some fun before finally leaving Ilias Continent behind. Onward!”

 

And with a grandiose wave of his arm, Luka took the lead and began to walk down the road leading towards Iliasport, humming a tune. Thermidor and Alice paused for a few seconds, watching him march ahead and shaking their heads.

 

“Huh, he’s in good spirits,” the monster fencer commented. Alice shot her a dry look.

 

“Thank you for your keen observation of the obvious. I’d never have been able to tell otherwise,” she replied with a lopsided smile and a raised eyebrow. She then looked at the boy again, sighing. “A Fairytale Hero who wants to play in the sand... it makes taking him seriously difficult, don’t you think?”

 

“The same could be said of a Monster Lord playing in the sand,” Thermidor pointed out in a deadpan tone as she began to walk towards Luka. “Come on, let’s go. We’ve got to find a good camping spot.”

 

“That’s not the same thing at all,” Alice huffed as she followed. “Even Monster Lords need a break, you know...”

 

----

 

The group met with no further delays after leaving the forest, and by keeping a brisk walking pace, they managed to reach Iliasport before sunset of the next day, slightly ahead of schedule. However, the scene that welcomed them was different from what they expected. Instead of a thriving port town with merchants busily shuffling around its streets, sealing the final deals of the day, what they found was gloomy, deserted streets and forlorn passersby barely acknowledging their presence as they tiredly dragged their feet past them.

 

Most unsettling of all, though, was the locals’ appearance. A number of them, even among the more well-dressed individuals, looked like they were in need of food, and as the three companions walked through the shops district, heading towards the hotel area, they noticed that quite a few shops, especially fish-sellers, were boarded up with discontinued business notices on their doors.

 

“What’s with this place? It looks so dreary,” Luka commented with a confused expression on his face as he looked around in the dimming light of sunset. “You’d think a port town would be more bustling with activity, even at such a late hour... instead, this looks more like a dying town. Something’s not right here.”

 

“I agree. Iliasport was nothing like this when I passed through five years ago,” Thermidor nodded, frowning as she took the sight in. “Although, I seem to recall hearing some merchants in Iliasburg comment that there was a shortage of seafood and sea-related goods. At the time I didn’t make the connection, but seeing this now...”

 

“Whatever happened must have hit this town’s economy hard,” Alice spoke up, eyeing her surroundings critically. “I don’t think it’s Granberia’s doing. She’d have mentioned it, and besides, it’d have been of no use in her plans and she’s not the type to inflict unnecessary pain on people beneath her notice. No, I think something must have happened to the fishing industry. Iliasport is a port town, after all, and fishing is likely its most profitable activity.”

 

“It’s not just fishing,” Thermidor added. “There’s a distinct lack of foreign merchants looking for and offering good deals. Even if we discount fish, there’s the import and export business to consider. The lack of such activity is just strange.”

 

“Hmmm... it’s getting too late in the evening to do anything now, so I say we find a hotel and rest our feet,” Luka suggested, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “But tomorrow morning, we should head for the pier and start asking questions. There’s clearly trouble going on, and I’d bet my left foot that we’ll find plenty of things out about it by asking the sailors.”

 

“That’s a good plan,” Alice agreed as she whipped out her Traveler’s Guide and began consulting it. “Plus, I’m tired and hungry, and this promises to be a pretty damp and chilly night. Let me see... there should be a local inn famous for its mussels and seafood soup. Given how things are going, I’m not holding my breath in hope of finding any, but you never know. Shall we go?”

 

“Food again. Figures,” the boy sighed as he raised his hands in surrender. “Well, one hotel’s the same as the other for the time being. I suspect they’ll all be equally unsatisfactory in the current situation. Lead the way.”

 

“Right, follow me,” the Echidna nodded as she took the lead. “It should be down this road...”

 

----

 

Luka set out for the docks early next morning, followed by Alice. Thermidor decided to stay behind and guard their hotel room, a decision prompted by the owner’s warning that thievery and burglary had been rampant in town. When asked about the current crisis, all he said was ‘Go to the docks and you’ll find out’, and he refused to elaborate any further, clearly in a bad mood.

 

As the pair reached the docks, they stopped, staring: most of the docked ships were heavily damaged, and some looked like they were barely staying afloat. Sailors and dockworkers milled about forlornly, their body language radiating depression and despair. Luka frowned at the scene.

 

“This is worse than I thought,” he told Alice in a low tone. “What happened to these ships? Did pirates attack them?”

 

“I doubt it,” the disguised monster replied, discreetly pointing off to Luka’s side. “Look at those people.”

 

Following her pointed finger, Luka stared, feeling his jaw go slack. Docked to the far side, and in noticeably worse shape than the other ships, a pirate galleon floated quietly on the water, its crew busying itself with repairs and looking to be in an even fouler mood than the local workers. The fact that no one reacted to the pirates’ presence was even more worrying than the pitiful state the docked ships were in.

 

“Those are... pirates?! Docking here of all places?! And no one’s trying to arrest them?!” Luka muttered incredulously. “Not only that, there’s no reaction to their presence. Look, the pirates are the only ones who aren’t completely apathetic! Is this town under a spell?”

 

“In a way, yes,” Alice said with a grim expression. “It’s the spell called ‘loss of all hope’. These people have given up. They just don’t care anymore. The pirates, though... I think they’ve only recently docked. Their ship’s damage looks fresh, while the other ships docked here look like they’ve been in disrepair for a while.”

 

“This is wrong...” Luka shook his head, his features hardening. “Something needs to be done. Let’s go talk to the pirates.”

 

“You’re just going to walk up to criminals and ask them for information?” Alice raised an eyebrow at the boy Hero’s decision. “Thermidor would be flipping out at you right about now if she were here. It’s pretty careless.”

 

“What’re they gonna do, abduct me and set sail with that holey tub that’s barely staying afloat?” Luka pointed out as he began walking towards the buccaneers. “Besides, they're the only ones who look lively enough to get decent information out of them instead of doom and gloom statements. Remember how helpful the innkeeper was?”

 

“Good point,” Alice agreed as she followed him. “Besides, I doubt you’d have any trouble fighting them off.”

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but let’s avoid a fight, shall we?” Luka replied in a low tone as he drew closer to the pirate ship. As if on cue, the pirates spotted him and several of them left the galleon, aggressively blocking his way.

 

“What’re ye doin’ away from yer mama’s teats, laddie?” one of the pirates, an one-eyed man with a short stubble and greasy, unkempt hair, growled at him in an intimidating fashion. “This be no place for lil’ boys like yerself. Go on home to yer daily glass o’ milk!”

 

“Damn straight. We be pirates, wee one. Can’t ye see that?” another added, this one a bald, heavily scarred stocky man looking to be in his forties. “We eat young ‘uns like ye fer breakfast!”

 

“I am well aware of who you are,” Luka countered, keeping his cool. He could see that unlike other threatening humans he met, those men meant business: if they got mad at him, they’d almost certainly try to kill him, and he wasn’t looking forward to a fight to the death with hardened veterans of deadly battles such as these. “But everyone else in this town is worse than useless, and you’re the only ones who have a spine left, so I thought I’d ask you what happened that trashed your ship, and the ones docked here, so badly. At least I’ll get an answer, even if it’s a string of curses.”

 

The pirates stared at him for a few short instants, then the bald scarred man barked a short laugh, slapping his belly with an open hand.

 

“Harharhar! I like ye, laddie. Ye’ve got spunk. Mebbe I was wrong aboot ye,” he chuckled, an ugly grin deforming his face. His grin then became a grimace. “Afraid there be not much we ken tell ye, tho. Got stuck in this blasted hellhole a month ago, we did, when we got caught in a storm off the coast. Docked here, thinkin’ we’d hafta fight to get ol’ Grishend fixed an’ seaworthy again. But as ye can see, nobody gave a damn.”

 

“Wait. You’ve been docked here a month?! And you’re still fixing your ship?” Luka asked. The greasy-haired man shook his head negatively.

 

“Nay, we got done with the repairs inside a week’s time,” he explained with a nasty scowl. “But when we tried leavin’ port, the storm hit again, may Empress Selene rise from her watery grave an’ drag it down to the dark depths wit’ her. Had to re-dock and start repairin’ all over...”

 

“...and when you tried leaving once more, the storm showed up. Again,” Luka finished, seeing where the discussion was going. “Well, that settles it. This can’t be natural. The question is, how do we stop it?”

 

“Stop it? What makes ye think ye can, laddie?” one of the other pirates sneered, glaring at the boy. “‘less you can order the Abyss Queen herself around, ye’d have better luck squeezin’ blood outta rocks.”

 

“Well, there’s that thing the Cap’n wuz talkin’ aboot...” the greasy-haired man chimed in, only to be slapped across the back of the head by the bald shorty.

 

“Shut yer trap! Nobody in their right mind would walk into a trap- and monster-infested ruin to grab some magical doohickey what might or might not be there!” the bald man growled. Luka blinked.

 

“Magical trinket? Perhaps I could help,” he spoke up, drawing the men’s attention. “I may not look like it, but I’m a Hero. I’ve got some experience with dangerous monsters already, and helping’s more or less what I do, so if you let me speak with your Captain, maybe I can--”

 

“Ye say yer a Hero?! That’s rich, kiddo!” the stocky man interrupted him with a short, mocking laugh. “Go on, get home an’ stop playin’ grown-up. This ain’t no game. Ye’d get yerself hurt bad.”

 

“I’m not joking. I’m telling you, I can help if--” Luka tried again, frowning at the men’s attitude. Once again, the short man cut him off with a snorting laugh.

 

“Quit wastin’ our time an’ get lost already!” he barked at him, his eyes narrowing as he took one step forward and raised a meaty hand to shove him backwards. At this, Luka’s own temper flared, and with a growl, he batted the pirate’s arm aside, took a step forward and violently drove his elbow in the man’s midsection. The pirate let out a strangled groan and his eyes widened as the air was driven out of his lungs, then he sank to his knees, holding his stomach as his strength abandoned him. Behind him, the boy heard Alice sigh, muttering darkly about how that was not the right way to avoid a fight.

 

Seeing the scene, the other pirates immediately reached for their blades, unsheathing them as they glared at the boy. However, their advance on him stopped abruptly as he took out Angel Halo, ostensibly holding it up for them to see clearly. The pirates eyed the strange blade nervously, murmuring.

 

“I’m not interested in a fight,” Luka said in an almost conversational tone as he kept an eye on the pirates, his magic blade raised. “But it seems you’re all doubting my qualifications as a Hero. If I have to get rough to prove my point, then so be it. Believe me, this is in everyone’s best interest. This situation needs to end.”

 

“Why you little...!” the greasy-haired man growled as he took a step towards him and raised his cutlass. Luka promptly took a guarded stance in response, narrowing his eyes. I wonder what effect Angel Halo has on humans? he idly thought, a tinge of worry creeping in his mind. He really didn’t want to accidentally kill anyone over all of this.

 

Before any further violence could take place, however, a strong, commanding voice rang out, causing both sides to freeze.

 

“Avast, ye scurvy dogs, or I’ll swab the deck with ye! An’ ye, lad, come on aboard! Ye got me attention!” it roared. Looking up towards the pirate ship’s deck, Luka spotted what he assumed was the pirates’ Captain, and owner of the voice. It was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick, grey beard that reached down to the middle of his chest. Equally thick eyebrows adorned his face, but did little to hide the piercing gaze of a pair of aqua-blue eyes under them. He was elegantly dressed in a red-and-blue admiral’s uniform, and Luka suspected that he had, in fact, been an Admiral at some point in his life. He certainly was imposing enough.

 

Surprisingly, he didn’t have peg-legs, hooks in places of hands, or an eyepatch, but he did have a most prominent scar across his neck, and Luka felt a chill shoot down his spine as he realized what it meant: this man had his throat slit from side to side - and somehow lived to tell the tale.

 

As Luka looked at the Captain, he sheathed Angel Halo. Somehow, he was certain there’d be no further hostility from the pirates. Their Captain had laid down the law, and he could see no desire to challenge it in the seamen’s eyes. His respect for the man on deck shot up several notches: for such a violent, unruly mob to be so accepting of his orders, the Captain had to be one heck of a fighter, because he doubted this much authority could come without the strength to back it up in such an environment.

 

“That Captain’s like a ruler of monsters,” Alice whispered in his ear, as if reading his mind. “He’s the strongest, and the others follow. Be careful. You don’t want to antagonize someone like him.”

 

“I won’t. His men were one thing, but even I can see he’s someone I’d regret making an enemy of,” he reassured her. “Come on, let’s go hear what he has to say. And... watch yourself. I suspect most of these men haven't been close to a woman for a good while now.”



“I can handle myself, you know,” the serpentine monster pointed out indignantly. Luka nodded.

 

“Yes, and that’s precisely what worries me,” he agreed as they moved towards the boarding plank. “Please, no killing gropers. All right?”

 

“Fine,” Alice huffed as she followed his lead. “But you’d better be thankful to me later...”

 

----

 

“Go on, grab a chair an’ make yerself comfortable, laddie. Yer woman, too,” the Captain invited them in as he led them to his quarters and entered them. Luka stumbled at the words, while Alice managed to stifle a laugh, turning it into a snort at the last second.

 

“Uh, with all due respect, sir, Alice isn’t my--” the boy began, only to be silenced with a dismissive handwave by the bearded man.

 

“If I says she be yer woman, she be yer woman,” he stated curtly. “It be fer her own good, too. Me men be restless an’ frustrated by this fine mess we be in. Ol’ Grishend ain’t no place fer a lone lass ta be without a protector right now.”

 

“Uh-- you want me to pretend she’s my girlfriend so your men won’t molest her?” Luka asked, surprised by the Captain’s foresight. The older man nodded.

 

“Aye, that be it,” he confirmed. “She be a rare beauty, an’ me men need ta know she be taken already, lest one o’ them try sumfin’ stupid an’ get killed.”

 

“I-I see... um, anyway, I’d like to talk about this whole situation with the storms, if it’s all the same with you, Captain...?” Luka replied, trailing off at the end. Picking up on the unspoken question, the grizzled veteran took a seat at the table, motioning for his guests to do the same. Luka and Alice complied, the Echidna having relaxed and now observing the man before her with curiosity rather than caution.

 

“Ye ken call me Greybeard,” the Captain informed the boy as he took a pipe and a bundle of ground tobacco leaves from the table. “It be what most call me, anyway.”

 

“Wait, Greybeard? The Greybeard?” Luka said, his eyes widening as he regarded the man before him. “Are you really the one they call the ‘Pirate Emperor’ and ‘Poseidon’s Child’?”

 

“I be called many things, laddie, most o’ them less than flatterin’,” the pirate commented calmly, methodically filling his pipe with the tobacco. “But aye, some call me that.”

 

“Um... wow. It’s kind of humbling, knowing I’m talking to a living legend,” Luka admitted, fidgeting on his chair as he observed the man before him. “Even a country bumpkin like me has heard of Greybeard and his crew, sailing the seas and mercilessly preying on the Church of Ilias’s ships. It’s said you never lost a single naval battle, and some think your ship is a supernatural cursed galleon that can neither be sunk nor escaped from, once it sets sail...”

 

“An’ do ye believe that hogwash?” Greybeard asked the boy with a raised eyebrow as he used a candle to lit his pipe and took one long puff. “Cuz if ye do, ye may have a problem, bein’ how ye be on the cursed ship an’ all...”

 

“Well... I doubt this ship is cursed, but I’m not about to dismiss the claim that there may be something unusual about it,” Luka answered after a brief pause. “After all, enchanted ships aren’t unheard of, are they?”

 

“Ha! Ye got a good head on yer shoulders, lad. Careful not to lose it, now,” the old veteran chuckled as he took another puff from the pipe. “So then, are ye goin’ ta try an’ take me out, now?”

 

“Huh? Why would I do that?” the boy asked, confused. The Captain blinked, looking taken aback for the first time.

 

“Well, ye claimed ta be a Hero, an’ I be yer Church’s enemy,” Greybeard pointed out. “So I figger ye’d want ta bring me head in...”

 

“I don’t work for the Church,” Luka replied in a carefully neutral tone. “I’m an independent Hero.”

 

Greybeard was silent for a while after that, quietly smoking as he closely observed Luka with his piercing blue eyes, as if trying to stare in his very soul. Eventually, he shrugged, smiling at the boy.

 

“Fair enough, laddie. I believe ye. Now then... ye said ye want ta stop the storms?” he said, chewing thoughtfully on his pipe’s lip. At the boy’s nod, he snorted dismissively. “Ye ken’t. Forget aboot it.”

 

“Wait... what?” Luka blinked, giving the Captain a confused stare. “I thought you knew a way to stop them? Your men seemed to imply as much...”

 

“I dunno how ta stop the storms, short o’ callin’ upon the Abyss Queen an’ hopin’ she answers,” Greybeard replied as he set his pipe down and set his elbows down on the table, steepling his fingers before his face. “But I know o’ a charm held in a cave nearby what’ll protect me ship from ‘em. And I got a hunch sayin’ if I want ta find the source o’ the storms, I gotta head in the storm. So long as I got the charm, me ship ken brave the elements an’ survive.”

 

“I think I get what you’re proposing,” Luka nodded. “If I retrieve this charm for you, you’ll let me set sail with you and investigate the storms up close, and maybe find an answer to the crisis at hand, is that it?”

 

“Smart lad,” Greybeard nodded in satisfaction. “I’d have sent me men, but none o’ em be able ta navigate a land map. They be men o’ the sea, not landlubbers. An’ goin’ meself be unwise; me men be rough an’ irritable from all this, an’ I need ta keep ‘em on a tight leash, ‘less they take their anger out on this here port an’ plunder it.”

 

“I see. All right, I’ll do it,” Luka agreed, raising a clenched fist. “What am I looking for, where do I find this cave, and do you have any information about it at all?”

 

“It be called ‘Poseidon’s Cave’,” Greybeard replied, getting up and heading to a nearby desk. Opening a drawer, he briefly rifled through a few sheets of paper, and took one out, bringing it back to the table and spreading it open. Taking a look at it, Luka realized it was a map of Iliasport’s neighborhood. Greybeard took a quill and a bottle of ink, and quickly marked a small cave to the east of Iliasport, drawing a rough path towards it.

 

“This map be old, an’ the terrain may have changed,” he explained. “But the cave should still be there. A temple be in its back, built by seamen past ta honor the Queens o’ the Seas, Kraken an’ Poseidoness. Inside it be an altar, an’ on the altar be Poseidon’s Bell. That be the treasure ye’re lookin’ fer.”

 

“Uh... is it all right for me to steal from a temple of the Sea Queens?” Luka asked dubiously. Greybeard shook his head reassuringly.

 

“It be fine. Poseidon’s Bell be Poseidoness’ gift to seamen, that it may protect ‘em from storms an’ deliver ‘em back ta their families safely,” he explained. “Any be free to take it an’ use it fer as long as needed, long as they take it back when done. We’ll take care o’ that once we be safe again. We be seamen - none o’ us want the Queens angry at us.”

 

“I see,” Luka murmured. “But, it sounds like this temple has been abandoned. Why is that?”

 

“Take a wild guess, lad,” Greybeard growled before spitting contemptuously on the floor. “It be that blasted Church of Ilias’ fault, what else? Ye think they’d allow ‘heretical practices’ like these in their domain? Now the Temple be forgotten an’ dark, the Sea Queen’s gift lost.”

 

“I should’ve imagined that’d be the case. I’m not surprised anymore by how low they can sink,” the boy muttered darkly. “Very well, then. I’ll be heading out first thing tomorrow morning, and be back as soon as possible with the bell.” Getting up from his seat, Luka nodded respectfully to the pirate captain. “Thank you for giving me a chance, Captain Greybeard. You won’t be disappointed.”

 

“Aye, take yer time,” the Captain replied, nodding back. “Ol’ Grishend still needs ta be repaired fully. Should take a few more days, so no hurry. Don’t go get eaten by a monster now, ye hear me? We all be countin’ on ye.”

 

“Of course. Farewell then...” Luka said. At the Captain’s dismissing wave, he turned around and left the quarters, already planning his next move. Alice followed him, strangely quiet.

 

As they left the ship, the pirate that Luka had knocked out suddenly came out of nowhere and barred their way, preventing them from crossing the plank to the pier. Luka stopped, letting his hand slip towards Angel Halo in case the man wanted revenge.

 

For a few tense moments, the boy and the bald man glared at each other, as if competing to see who’d look away first. Then, the man took a half step forward and offered his hand. Luka hesitated briefly, then shrugged and took the offered hand, shaking it. He winced inwardly as he felt the pirate’s almost crushingly strong grip, but refused to show discomfort, and after a few seconds of close scrutiny, the stocky man let go of his sore appendage and laughed out loud, slapping the boy across the back.

 

“Harharhar! Not bad, lad, not bad at all!” he bellowed in mirth. “Ye cleaned me clock but good back there! Ye’d make a good pirate!”

 

“Er, thanks,” Luka smiled, wincing again as he felt his back sting. The man was much stronger than he looked, and his back slap felt more like a whip struck him than a friendly gesture, but he kept any comments to himself. “I think I’ll stick with being a Hero, though.”

 

“Bah! Heroes be milk-drinkers,” the man snorted contemptuously. “Not one in their whole sorry lot what got a spine. Call yerself a Hero if ye want, but ye be too much o’ a man fer that. Ye should pick a more manly job.”

 

“That assumes those people even deserve the title,” Luka replied, raising an eyebrow. “Used to be that ‘Hero’ meant something noble. Now... well, can’t blame you for looking down on their lot. But I strive to be like the Heroes of old, not like the guys we have now.”

 

“An’ good fer ye, lad,” the bald man nodded. “Me name’s Largo, Cap’n Greybeard’s first mate. If ye need anyfin’ more or less legal, gimme a shout an’ I’ll get it fer ye, be it clothes or homebrew rum. An’ speakin’ of rum, take this. Good luck on yer task.”

 

With those words, Largo shoved an old-looking leather flask in Luka’s hands, gave him a (rather dirty) toothy smile and walked off, humming a tune. Luka stood motionless for a few seconds, confused, then looked at the flask and winced as he caught a distinct whiff of alcohol from it. Looking up, he called out to Largo, holding the flask up.

 

“H-Hey! Wait! I don’t drink this stuff...” he protested weakly. Largo’s answer was a dismissive handwave.

 

“Pah, hogwash!” he replied, not turning back. “Real men drink rum, an’ ye proved yerself a real man. Toss the milk an’ start drinkin’ a man’s drinks!”

 

“I don’t think you’re going to change his mind,” Alice commented as Luka watched the pirate walk off with a cringe. “Besides, he has a point. You should give liquor a try... the way it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy is pretty nice.”

 

“So now you’re not just a glutton, but a drunkard, too?” Luka grumbled at the Echidna. In spite of that, however, he decided to keep the flask and hung it to his belt as he walked off, reasoning that there might be need for a flammable liquid in the near future. He’d never admit it to anyone, but Largo’s comment stung a little, too.

 

Alice snickered as he did so, but mercifully chose to keep her mouth shut and follow him quietly. Who knew, maybe she’d have a chance to see what Luka was like when he was drunk off his ass...

 

----

 

“Fetch a treasure from a monster-filled cave on a pirate’s behalf?” Thermidor commented with a raised eyebrow as she sipped her herbal tea, sitting at the table of their shared room. “Normally I would berate you for keeping company with the wrong people, but even I have heard of Captain Greybeard. He’s famous for never having attacked anything other than Ilias Church ships, and he’s never killed anyone needlessly in the process - only Church knights and inquisitors who were too chatty or aggressive for their own good. I suppose I can overlook the fact that you went up to a bunch of pirates without a care in the world and befriended them as if it was the most natural thing to do without knowing anything about them beforehand...”

 

Luka winced. While Thermidor’s tone was calm and neutral, there was an underlying coldness to her words, especially noticeable as she put a very slight emphasis on some words. He wisely decided to keep his mouth shut: the fencer had a point in chiding him for brashly boarding a pirate ship like he did.

 

Thermidor sighed and set her now-empty cup down, then straightened up, watching Luka closely. She looked at him speculatively for a few more seconds, then sighed again, closing her eyes.

 

“As much as I disapprove of the risky way in which you did things, I will freely admit you made more progress with your direct approach than we’d have managed by asking around,” she grudgingly conceded. “I walked around town for a few minutes while you were off at the docks, and I couldn’t collect anything other than predictions of death, defeat and despair from each and every soul I talked to. It’s like everyone in this settlement has reinvented themselves as a doomsayer. At one point I even removed my headband and let the locals see my ears, hoping that maybe realizing there was a monster in their midst would shock them out of their gloom, but all I got was tired looks and complete lack of interest.” She frowned in displeasure. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say a devil stole this town’s inhabitants’ souls. But no - they have just lost hope.”

 

“You - took your headband off?!” Luka asked incredulously, his head shooting up. “Are you serious?! Shouldn’t I be the one who does this kind of reckless thing? What if you’d been attacked?”



“It’d still have been better than what I got instead,” the fencer growled, clenching her fist in frustration. “I hate this. Humans are not meant to act like this. Let us resolve this situation and return the town to normal. As it is now, it is little more than a graveyard whose corpses do not yet know they are dead.”

 

“...Yeah, I agree,” Luka nodded after a brief pause. “This town feels all wrong. I can’t feel at ease in here. The sooner we find the cause of the storms and put an end to them, the better.”

 

“Well then, we should turn in early and set out first thing in the morning tomorrow,” Thermidor declared as she got up from her seat. “I compared the old map the Captain gave you with the most recent map of Ilias, and reaching the cave is going to be harder than we thought at first. Apparently, there was a landslide that destroyed the most direct path to it, so we’ll have to circle around and approach it from the other side. It will likely take a whole day just to get there.”

 

“Ugh... I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that simple,” Luka groaned. He then heaved a deep sigh. “I’d like to practice, but this town’s atmosphere is really getting to me. I won’t be able to focus in this state. It’s so annoying...”

 

“If you have trouble focusing, why don’t you meditate?” Alice suggested, causing Luka to pause and give her a questioning look. “Meditating is a very handy technique for relaxing and letting excess tension roll off your body. It might even be handy to recover your composure if a monster starts attacking you with sexual techniques. I hear the most skilled swordsmen can meditate in the middle of a heated battle, receiving all the benefits from it in just a few seconds.”

 

“Huh... I’m not sure about the effectiveness of meditating in battle, but it does sound like a handy skill for when I’m taking a break,” Luka commented. “All right, how do I do it, then?”

 

“First of all, it's important to assume a proper position...” Alice began to explain. For the next few minutes, Thermidor watched in amusement as Alice gave Luka pointers on the art of meditating. She was surprised to discover that the apparently shallow Echidna was actually very knowledgeable about the activity, patiently helping Luka find a proper meditating stance and then guiding him through the process of emptying his mind of foreign thoughts.

 

After a few minutes of meditating, Luka cracked one of his eyes open, surreptitiously looking around. Alice glared at him.

 

“What are you doing?” she scolded him. “You’re supposed to focus inwardly, not peek around!”

 

“I know, but I’m getting a little bored, to be honest...” Luka replied defensively. “I can’t help but think I’m wasting time I could devote to practicing my moves...”

 

“Meditation is not a waste of time,” Alice scolded him again, smacking him upside the head. “Don’t you know that it could even be used to heal? The Fallen Angel, Erigora, was said to be able to mend all his wounds and chase all pain away in just a few instants of meditation. You shouldn’t underestimate the power of mind over matter!”

 

“Heal all wounds and soothe a weary body?” Luka murmured, closing his eyes. “Now that’d be... a convenient skill... ...mmm...? Huh?”

 

“Luka? Is something wrong?” Thermidor asked, alerted by the sudden change in Luka’s humming. The boy didn’t answer, instead opening his eyes wide and staring at his wrists. He then looked up at his monster companions, amazed.

 

“H-hey... it worked...” he muttered weakly. “I was still feeling sore from where Largo slapped me earlier, and I had a small abrasion where the Roper grabbed me with her tentacles, which also stung a bit... now the pain is gone, and the abrasion isn't there anymore. Look!”

 

Saying that, Luka held up his left arm for both to see. Thermidor and Alice stared at it, incredulity slowly creeping on their faces as they observed the smooth, unblemished skin before their eyes. Both could clearly remember the aftermath of the Roper fight, and both had seen an ugly red burn mark left on Luka’s wrist from where the carnivorous monster’s acidic tentacles had latched around his arm. Just as Luka said, however, the burn mark was gone.

 

“N-no way...” Thermidor quietly breathed out, shocked. Is this part of his holy powers? But I thought his ring was supposed to suppress them, she thought. I wonder if this is a good or bad thing. Oh, how I wish I’d asked Lady Micaela for more details! Although, she did mention his power can still activate under certain circumstances...

 

“W-w-whaaaaat?!” Alice yelled, in a much less dignified fashion. “There’s no way that should happen! Humans don’t just wish their wounds closed! Just what in blazes is wrong with your body?! You can feed an undead monster without dying, you learn new things insanely fast, and you can even heal...”

 

“I have no idea myself,” Luka admitted quietly, a disturbed look on his face. “Should I... be worried?”

 

Alice opened her mouth to answer, then paused as she noticed Luka’s expression. For the first time since she’d met him, he looked genuinely lost and vulnerable, unsure of what to think or do. Acting on an impulse, she squashed back the biting remark she’d prepared. The present situation unnerved her, but she didn’t want to make him feel even more uncomfortable than he already appeared to be.

 

As Luka looked at his hands with a worried expression and Alice grew quiet, Thermidor bit her lip thoughtfully, then sighed. It appeared as if she couldn’t keep the truth to herself much longer, after all.

 

“I believe I know why that happened,” she spoke up quietly. In the dead silence of the room, her voice still sounded all too loud. Her sudden declaration drew the attention of her companions, who looked at her with curiosity and, in Luka’s case, anxiety. She shook her head, smiling at him. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Both Liese and Lady Micaela gave me pertinent information that I believe explain this situation. But, I must ask you a favor. Can you trust me just a bit longer, and give me a bit of time to recall everything Liese told me and compare it with what Lady Micaela said, so that I can explain in an orderly fashion? I promise it won’t be too long.”

 

“Well... okay,” Luka nodded, relaxing a bit as he cracked a smile. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not anxious to hear what you know, but your request makes sense, and besides, I always trusted you and never regretted it in the past. Take your time and tell me when you’re ready.” He then became serious again. “Just answer this one question: is it safe to use this ‘power’ of mine?”

 

“Ah... that’s not an easily answered question,” Thermidor reluctantly admitted. “All I can say is that I’ve been warned that overuse of it may be very bad for you. On the other hand, it’s just meditation, and I am personally in favor of anything that can be of help in letting you survive battles. So... let us put it this way: it is safe, so long as you only use it when there’s effective need for it. Don’t wait until you’re keeling over from your wounds to use it, but don’t abuse it for even the most minor scratch, either. I taught you how to tolerate pain to an extent: make use of that skill.”

 

“While that is good advice, I feel the need to point out that meditating is also useful in the event that a monster sexually assaults you,” Alice chimed in, drawing Luka’s attention. “The act of meditating clears your mind of excess thoughts, and that includes arousal from sexual stimulation. Since that is how most monsters assault human males, it may prove very useful in that regard, as well, and whatever power it is that you have, I highly doubt simply cooling off from feeling horny will constitute using it.”

 

“Good point,” Thermidor nodded in agreement. “That is also an use you should keep in mind. To sum it up: do use it when appropriate, but refrain from unnecessarily abusing it.”

 

“Fair enough,” Luka said in agreement, relaxing visibly. “If both of you think it’s fine, then I feel more at ease about it. Thank you. Well, then, if neither of you mind, I think I’m going to soak in the bathtub for a while. I’m still a little tense, and a hot bath would do wonders for my nerves.”

 

“Of course, go right ahead,” Thermidor nodded at him. “Take your time and relax. I’ll see you later, then.”

 

“Thanks,” the boy nodded as he headed for the bathroom, picking up a towel on the fly and removing his shirt as he walked. Soon, he disappeared inside the other room, and after a few moments, the sounds of running water could be heard. At that point, Alice gave Thermidor a look of plain curiosity.

 

“Well, that was... unexpected,” she helpfully commented. “And a little bit exciting, I guess. I assume it’s all part of that super secret past you keep refusing to tell me about?”

 

“You really are curious, aren’t you?” the fencer commented, rolling her eyes. “Well, if you can just wait a little longer, your curiosity will soon be satisfied. But only if Luka is fine with it, and only on the condition that you also tell him who you really are - if he doesn’t figure it out first, of course. He has to make an informed decision about it.”

 

“Fair is fair,” Alice nodded in agreement, crossing her arms below her breasts. “I will abide by your rules.” She then smiled mischievously. “With that said, I’m not going to stop teasing him. He’s just too much fun to molest and poke.”

 

“Suit yourself,” the fencer sighed resignedly as she headed off to her bed to lie down and relax. Who knows, she thought privately as she went, your teasing might even take his mind off from the revelation he just had.

 

----

 

The trio left Iliasport early the next day, as planned. For once, the journey to their destination was completely uneventful, with no monster attacks or similar incidents. However, the terrain itself proved treacherous enough to make up for the lack of living obstacles. As Thermidor had mentioned the previous afternoon, the original road leading to Poseidon’s Cave had collapsed, likely due to excessive rainfall. This forced the group to take a large detour, circling to the south and coming down from a cliff on the other side which, while manageable, was very rocky and unstable terrain.

 

More than once, Luka found himself on the verge of a ruinous fall from the unstable rocks he was walking on, only to be saved by a timely intervention of one of his companions. Finally, after a long and arduous descent, they reached the beach below, and all three sat down on the fine sand and rested their weary bodies in the late afternoon light, breathing a collective sigh of relief.

 

“Ugh. I thought only Hellgondo had terrain this uneven and difficult to navigate,” Alice commented as she dusted herself off. “If I didn’t know better, I could swear this place was built here specifically to keep people away.”

 

“Well, it is a sea goddess’ temple, and was primarily frequented by sailors,” Thermidor pointed out as she watched Luka quietly meditate a few steps away from them to heal a rather nasty gash on his side which he’d suffered during the descent. “I would imagine they approached it from the sea, rather than by land. Unfortunately, going out at sea right now is... not optimal. There was no other choice but to journey here on foot.”

 

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” the Echidna muttered as she eyed the boy’s activity as well. She shook her head in amazement as the painful-looking wound began to close under her eyes. “Unbelievable. If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I’d think this a fairy tale. Who’d have thought there was truth in the stories about Erigora?”

 

“Please refrain from talking about this for now,” Thermidor admonished her. “There will be time soon enough for all to be revealed. Besides, was it not you who took to calling Luka ‘Fairytale Hero’? It is fitting for such a Hero to perform feats worthy of fairy tales.”

 

“Hah, good point,” Alice chuckled, smiling at the fencer. “Your wit is rarely used, but no less sharp for that. You always manage to make me smile.”

 

“It seems he is done healing his wound,” Thermidor said as she noticed Luka relax and begin to stretch. The swordswoman quietly observed the boy get up and gingerly feel his side, looking pleased and slightly amazed at the same time. As he came back towards her, she nodded at him.

 

“How does your side feel, Luka?” she asked, watching him closely. The young Hero felt his side again, then looked up at her, smiling slightly.

 

“I feel fine now. The pain’s completely gone, and it doesn’t even look like I was wounded to begin with,” he told her. He then grew thoughtful. “It felt like something was tugging at my skin. I guess that was the wound closing up. It wasn’t painful, just... kind of weird.”

 

“Hmm. And is there any difference in your body now?” Thermidor inquired, somewhat anxious. Luka noticed her sudden nervousness, and shook his head, smiling reassuringly.

 

“No, nothing at all,” he told her. “Whatever it is you’re worried about, I don’t think it’s happening, or happened already. It seems you were right in guessing meditation doesn’t count as abuse of whatever this power is.”

 

“Good! That’s a relief,” Thermidor exclaimed, exhaling slowly as she felt herself relax. She then looked at her companions. “Well, then. Should we head in now, or wait until tomorrow?”

 

“Hmm, well, this beach is a pretty defendable location, and... look over there,” he said, pointing at a small indentation in the cliff’s face. “Those appear to be the remains of some sort of camp. At least, those stones in a circle look like they were used for a campfire.”

 

“True. If we wish to, we can camp out here and wait for morning before venturing in,” the fencer nodded. “On the other hand, the cave looks to be very deep, and its interior will likely be dark regardless of whether it’s day or night outside.”

 

“Right. What kind of monsters should we expect in this kind of cave, Alice?” Luka asked the Echidna. Startled by the sudden question, she huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms.

 

“W-why are you asking me out of the blue? How rude!” she complained, trying to cover up her surprise, before sighing and relenting. “Fine, since you asked, I’ll tell you what I know. I don’t have much experience with coastal caves, to be honest, but from what I was told, insect-type monsters are most common within them. Spider monsters, too, and in some cases, you can find Wallmasters and Mimics.”

 

“Wallmasters? What are those?” Luka asked, curious. Alice shrugged, appearing uninterested.

 

“Monsters that can become part of rocky walls, and suddenly come out of them to surprise and snatch men away to be raped,” she explained, sounding bored. “But Wallmasters are very high level monsters. I have never heard of one being spotted outside of Hellgondo in the last thousand years or so. Mimics, now... those are a bigger concern. They are fairly strong monsters, but more common to the south, as adventurers and tomb raiders are much more frequent around the southern lands, where monsters are less dangerous, and Mimics feed on them, dragging their unsuspecting prey inside as they try to open their chest disguise to loot the treasure within.”

 

“I have heard of Mimics, yes,” Luka nodded. “Some of the pilgrims that visited Ilias Village jokingly referred to them as the ones who weed the idiots out from the adventurers’ ranks, because they tend to place themselves in visible spots, sometimes so obviously that only a fool or a suicidal man would fall for their trap. Seeing how they have no trouble surviving as a species, I imagine there’s a lot of both among adventurers and raiders.”

 

“Why does that not surprise me?” Alice commented with a smirk. “After all, few forces are more driving in the average human’s life than greed.”

 

“You’ll get no argument from me there,” Luka replied, shaking his head. “Come on, let’s check that campsite and decide whether to go in right away or wait.”

 

With that, the group headed over to the cliff face and began to examine the indentation. As suspected, the spot turned out to be a very old campsite location, probably used by sailors in the past to spend the night when passing in the vicinity. While most traces of past use had been wiped away by the elements, indicating that the place hadn’t been used in months and possibly years, a circle of blackened rocks still showed the point where fires were lit.

 

“Well... this camp is certainly still usable,” Luka murmured as he looked at the sky. The sun was setting but, by his estimate, they still had a couple hours of light before they’d need to light a fire. Inside the cave, however, they were guaranteed to need a lantern or torches.

 

“It is. Whatever we decide to do, we have a place to regroup at if needed,” Thermidor agreed. “The problem now is to decide whether to go now or wait for dawn.”

 

“Hm. Are cave monsters more active at certain times of day or night?” Luka asked, thinking. Alice shook her head.

 

“Monsters that exclusively dwell in caves tend to follow a fairly random schedule,” she explained. “Spider Girls in particular simply wait for prey to get tangled in their webs, and it makes no difference whether it’s day or night. Wallmasters are primarily active during the day, because at night they creep out and recharge their magic under the moonlight. But honestly, I don’t think we’ll meet one here. Mimics... I’m not even sure they even have a concept of time. And most insect types that dwell in caves are blind or very nearsighted, and typically rely on sound to find prey, so there’s no difference between night and day for them either.”

 

“I see,” Luka said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm... All things considered, I think I'll head in right away and get this over with as soon as possible. Waiting until daytime won’t make any difference inside the cave, while being out there with a lit fire might actually attract monsters. Fires are good for keeping beasts away, but a monster looking for a man would see a fire and think, 'Oh, there must be a human or two here.'”

 

“Good call. We can always rest once we come out of the cave,” Thermidor agreed with him. “Or we might even find a place to secure and rest in inside the cave itself. That pirate did mention there’s a temple in the back, right?”

 

“Hmm, yes, he did,” the boy confirmed. “Dedicated to the Queens of the Seas. I suppose it’d act as shelter to the needy, too. It’s worth taking a look, at any rate. I’d take a half rotten bed over this sand - there’s too many pieces of sharp rock mixed in it for me to feel safe about sleeping on it.”

 

"Right then, let’s go,” Thermidor said, motioning for the cave’s entrance. “We can always use this camp for breakfast tomorrow.”

 

“All right. I’ll lead the way,” Luka nodded as he began walking towards the cave’s entrance. As he reached it, he stopped, cautiously peering inside with a hand on Angel Halo’s handle. Alice slithered up beside him, and as she reached the mouth of the cave, she paused, sniffing the air. A displeased expression flashed across her face as she grunted, and Luka gave her a questioning look. She shrugged.

 

“Nothing important. It’s just... this place smells like foxes,” the serpentine monster commented. Luka gave her a confused look, sniffing the air himself.

 

“Foxes...? I don’t think I understand,” he said, looking uncertain. “I don’t smell anything unusual. What do foxes smell like?”

 

“Thin fried tofu,” Alice replied with a faint smile. Luka blinked, looking even more confused than before.

 

“Huh...? I don’t get it,” he complained, then shrugged in resignation. “Whatever. Foxes or not, we’re heading in, so we might as well get going. Thermidor, can you take out the lantern and light it? I know you and Alice can see in the dark just fine, but I’m afraid I have no such luck, and I doubt there’s going to be lit torches in there like in the four bandits’ hideout.”

“A moment, please,” the fencer answered as she began rummaging through her own travel bag. Before long, she took a lantern out of it, filled it with oil and lit it, offering it to Luka. The boy nodded gratefully as he took it.

 

“Thank you. All right, I think we’re all set,” he nodded. “Let’s go.”

 

With that, Luka turned around and began his trek in the cave, cautiously examining his surroundings with a hand resting on his sword’s handle. Once again, his companions followed closely. Not even ten steps in, however, he stopped, frowning. He had the distinct impression that he was being observed, but no matter how much he looked around, he could see nothing suspicious. Unsatisfied, he resumed his advance, alert for anything weird.

 

As he walked in and the late afternoon light from outside grew dim, he caught something in the corner of his eye when reaching a small room and ground to a halt, his eyes narrowing. His hand once again grasping Angel Halo’s handle, he set the lantern down on a rocky outcropping, positioning it so that the whole room would be illuminated. He then glared at a set of stalagmites off to the side.

 

“Don’t bother hiding. I saw you move,” he said in a warning tone, fingering the handle of his magic blade in an intimidating fashion. “Show yourself. I’d rather not have to force you out in the open.”

 

Silence met his words for a few instants, then a shuffling sound was heard and a small female face cautiously peeked out from behind the rock formation.

 

“Wah! A human has appeared!” the unknown woman whined in a worried tone as she slowly stepped out of her hiding place and revealed herself. “How did you spot me? I thought I was perfectly well hidden...”

 

“You... are a Kitsune from the eastern lands of Yamatai, aren’t you?” Luka murmured as he took in the newcomer’s appearance. She was a small, white-haired girl, reaching up to about his chin in height and with a slim frame. A pair of fox ears, also white, twitched nervously on her head, and two matching tails swished nervously behind her as she observed the boy warily. Luka noted she was wearing odd clothes he’d never seen before, not even in the scarce few books about Eastern Sentora he’d been able to scrounge up.

 

“Um... who are you and why is a monster with you?” the Kitsune asked, puzzled, as she moved between Luka and the exit leading deeper in. “Ah, but I can’t let either of you through, anyway. Tamamo said so. So turn back now, okay?”

 

Luka peered behind himself, unsurprised at seeing Thermidor standing alone at the room’s entrance. She’s disappeared again, he thought, annoyed. So this is what she meant by ‘foxes’. Still... thin fried tofu? Ah, I’ll ask her later. First, I need to get past this girl.

 

“Hmm... I’m sorry, but I am on an important mission at the moment,” Luka explained in an apologetic tone, attempting to sound reasonable and non-threatening. “I really need to pass through, so would you please let me go peacefully?”

 

“I told you, I can’t!” the Kitsune shook her head fiercely as she set herself more solidly in his way. “I’m on a super secret mission whose details I can’t share with anyone, and I’ve been told to keep anyone out!”

 

“You’ve been told, eh? By whom?” Luka asked, interested. “Would it be that ‘Tamamo’ you mentioned earlier?”

 

“Ack! I wasn’t supposed to say that...!” the Kitsune gulped, looking mortified. Luka felt a tinge of compassion for her. He’d read something about her kind, and knew that two tails meant she was fairly young and inexperienced, though still a formidable opponent due to her monster nature. From how fidgety she was, he guessed this was the first task of a certain importance she was assigned, and she was paying for her inexperience by making some amateurish mistakes.

 

“Look, I’m not going to ask what your mission is,” Luka shook his head with a smile. “I’m just here to recover an old sailors’ charm that was once held in there. As soon as I find it, I will leave quietly and not bother you or get in your way anymore, so please, could you...?”

 

“I said no! Tamamo will get mad if I let you through!” the Kitsune replied as she cutely stamped her foot, before assuming a guarded stance, reaching for a strange knife-like weapon on her side. “Go away, or I’ll use my kunoichi arts to defeat you!”

 

At that, Luka froze. Then, slowly, he took two steps forward. The Kitsune crouched slightly, alarmed, and brandished her weapon.

 

“H-hey, stay back! I mean it!” she warned the boy before her, feeling threatened. “If you come any closer, I...”

 

“Are you really a kunoichi? One of the eastern lands’ shadow-walkers?” Luka asked suddenly, wearing an undecipherable expression. His tone of voice caused Thermidor to look up in alarm. She’d heard it once before, and suddenly, she had an idea of what Luka was thinking.

 

“H-huh? Well, yes, b-but...” the fox monster stuttered, taken aback by the sudden change in Luka’s demeanor.

 

“Luka. Very bad idea,” Thermidor spoke up in a warning tone, shifting behind the boy in case she needed to move fast. That further confused the young fox: from the way the monster accompanying the boy was moving, she seemed to be getting ready to tackle him, rather than her. She looked at the young man again, and was taken by surprise when he produced himself in a bow.

 

“In that case, can I request the honor of a duel?” he asked her, and as he peered up slightly from his bow, the Kitsune saw that his eyes were shining with anticipation. “I heard wondrous stories about the shadow-walkers and their amazing skills in and out of battle. It has always been my wish to face one of you in combat, testing my fighting prowess against the ninja arts.”

 

“Huh?! You-you’re requesting a duel with me?” the Kitsune managed to say after recovering from her incredulity. The boy straightened up, cocking his head to the side.

 

“Hmm? Yes. A friendly spar, of course,” he specified. “No lethal force and no attempts to cripple the opponent for life... other than that, anything either of us is capable of is allowed.”

 

“Well... Actually, I’m still just a trainee,” the fox girl admitted after a brief moment of hesitation. “I’m flattered that you’d request a duel against me, but...”

 

“That’s not a problem. I’m a trainee myself,” Luka reassured her. “I’m training to be a Hero, although--”

 

“Wait, a Hero?!” the Kitsune interrupted him angrily, becoming guarded again. “So you’re here to kill us after all, aren’t you?!”

 

“...as I said, I’m a trainee. Just like you,” he repeated patiently, taking care not to unnerve the alarmed fox. “Also, I don’t work for the Church of Ilias, and I have never killed a single monster in my life. Mostly, I simply travel around and try to help people in need, be they monsters or humans. That’s what Heroes should do - help those in need, not be lackeys for a bunch of monster-hating zealots.”

 

“He speaks the truth. He even has a monster wife, and children on the way,” Thermidor interjected, leaning on a rocky wall. While she wasn’t thrilled by Luka’s sudden desire for a duel, she could see he wouldn’t be swayed this time.

 

“Huh? A Hero married to a monster? That’s odd...” the fox girl commented, relaxing slightly. “And you - um, if you aren’t his wife, then...?”

 

“I’m his sister,” Thermidor explained. “Well, technically, adopted sister; we aren’t related by blood. But he saved my life in the past, and has been good to me. I don’t mind calling him family.”

 

“I see. So people like this do exist. Tamamo was right...” the monster girl murmured, eyeing Luka with curiosity as her fear slowly subsided. “Well... as I said, I’m just a trainee. Do you still want to...?”

 

“Of course,” Luka nodded. “Trainee or not, you still know the ninja arts. I’m sure you’ll be a capable opponent. After all, the shadow-walkers deal in illusory arts and deception, do they not? And Kitsune are famous for their skill in illusion magic. You’ll surely exceed any human kunoichi soon.”

 

“Hehehe... yeah, I’m awesome, am I not?” the Kitsune giggled happily, basking in the praise. She then snapped out of her happy trance and glared at him pointing a finger accusingly. “Hey! You’re making me all confident so I’ll be easier to defeat, aren’t you? That’s pretty sneaky for a Hero!”

 

“Er? What do you mean?” Luka blinked, genuinely puzzled. The boy and the Kitsune stared at each other silently for a few seconds, then the monster girl sighed and lowered her arm, shaking her head.

 

“Naw, there’s no way someone with such a clueless face could be so sneaky,” she muttered, causing Luka’s eye to twitch involuntarily.

 

“My apologies for not looking intelligent enough,” he retorted petulantly, feeling stung in his pride. “I hope you will still consider this clueless man’s request for a duel, though.”

 

“Eh, ahahahaha... That wasn’t nice, was it?” the fox girl said awkwardly, scratching her head in embarrassment as she realized her rudeness. “But yeah, I’d be glad to! This is going to be my first real duel. I’m so excited!”

 

“So am I,” Luka declared as he drew his sword. At the Kitsune’s alarmed look upon seeing Angel Halo, he shook his head reassuringly. “Don’t worry, this weapon can’t kill. I couldn’t really harm you even if I tried. At most, it can temporarily seal its target into a harmless form.”

 

“It’s true. I’ve seen it happen,” Thermidor confirmed. “That weapon couldn’t kill you even if Luka’s life depended on it. But, as he said, it can seal you in a weaker form.”

 

“Um, I don’t want to be sealed,” the Kitsune frowned. Luka shook his head again.

 

“I don’t want to seal you either,” he told her. “We can call it quits before that. And I don’t mind if you use your own weapon: I can heal my wounds to an extent, and so long as you don’t just kill me, I’ll recover.”

 

“Huh, you can heal? Are you some sort of wizard?” the monster asked, looking interested. Luka hesitated briefly at the question, then shook his head.

 

“I’m not sure what I am myself, to be honest,” he replied truthfully. “I just know I can do it. That’s it.”

 

“Huh. Well, if you say so, then I’m alright with that,” the Kitsune shrugged as she drew her weapon, which Luka now recognized as a jitte, a weapon commonly associated with eastern warriors. The fox then paused briefly, realizing something. “Oh! We haven’t introduced ourselves, have we? I’m Ako of Yamatai, a beautiful and skilled aide of Tamamo! And you are?”



“Right, that was rude of me, requesting a duel without even offering my name,” Luka nodded in apology. “I am Luka, a Hero in training from Ilias Village. The woman behind me is Thermidor. She taught me swordplay and discipline, and has become family to me. It’s a pleasure to meet you”

 

“Although my teachings regarding discipline seem to have been inadequate,” Thermidor commented from behind. Luka winced; he could tell from her tone that she wasn’t particularly happy with his sudden desire to duel the Kitsune, and she’d probably scold him afterwards, but was restraining herself so as to not make him lose face.

 

“Hehehe, she’s got you whipped,” the fox girl snickered as she caught his wince. “You’ve been a baaaaaad boy, haven’t you?”

 

“Ugh... I can’t deny that. I caused her a fair amount of grief,” the boy admitted, lowering his head in shame. “I don’t mean to, but sometimes I act without thinking.”

 

“Mmmm. You’re kinda cute when you’re all ashamed like that,” the Kitsune commented, smiling mischievously. She then backed off and assumed a ready stance, gazing at him defiantly. “Okay then, let’s go! I’m going to go all out and show you what a kunoichi of the Kitsune can do!”

 

“Please do,” Luka eagerly answered, readying Angel Halo in front of him as he also fell in a stance. “I will do my best to not disappoint, either!”

 

And without further words, the two earnestly began their duel. Ako was the first to move, and it quickly became apparent that in spite of being a kunoichi, she was not used to close combat. Her attacks were somewhat inaccurate, and she often fell for Luka’s lures. However, her agility was nothing short of amazing: Luka found himself hitting nothing but air most of the time, and the rare time when he landed a hit, it was a glancing blow at best, a mere nick at worst.

 

The Kitsune panicked the first time Luka struck her, but when she realized that she felt no pain, wasn’t bleeding and her wound was closing rapidly, she gradually lost her wariness and became more aggressive, realizing that Luka had spoken the truth when he said he couldn’t harm her.

 

At one point, however, it became evident that Luka was the superior fighter. That’s when Ako changed tactics. Instead of attacking him with her jitte, she sheathed it and began to assault him with sexual techniques, brushing herself against him, fleetingly caressing his groin, and sensually licking his exposed skin before darting away. Luka quickly found himself on the defensive, as the fox girl’s amazing agility coupled with her sensual attacks began to severely tax his resilience, causing his arousal to quickly rise.

 

As Luka found himself at a disadvantage, he remembered what Alice had told him about meditation as a method to reduce sexual frustration, and decided to test it. He didn’t see much other choice in the current situation, as he doubted he could defeat Ako before being overwhelmed by her fleeting caresses and stroking. Much as he hated to admit it, she severely outclassed him when it came to the intimate arts, a fact he found frustrating given how young she looked and how much experience he’d accumulated himself.

 

His chance came in the form of an opening that allowed him to drive her back and shove her against the near wall. The impact left the kunoichi breathless for a few moments during which she sluggishly moved out of range. That suited Luka just fine, as it let him temporarily lower his sword and focus inwardly. His brief focusing worked like a charm: as he reached deep within himself and relaxed in contemplation, he felt his tension unwind and his arousal simmer down to an extent.

 

As Ako recovered, she noticed Luka’s actions and cried out in protest at seeing her hard work unwound so easily. Frowning, she took a few steps back and closed her eyes, assuming what appeared to be a meditative stance. Luka stopped, curious. He knew it was probably unwise to let her do whatever she was planning to do, but his curiosity about the fabled ninja arts temporarily overpowered his common sense, and he stood still, allowing her to finish preparing for what she had planned. His curiosity was soon satisfied when the Kitsune reopened her eyes and smiled triumphantly at him.

 

“Hah! This battle is as good as won, now!” she announced brazenly. “Take this! Secret ninja art!”

 

As she cried out, her body shimmered, and then, abruptly, it split in three identical copies. Luka stared in stunned surprise, open mouthed.

 

“What in blazes...? How did you do that?! Is that the shadow-walkers’ magic?” he asked, incredulous. No matter how much he observed the three Kitsune before him, he found himself unable to distinguish the original from the copies, and soon, he began to fear that perhaps all three were the original and she had really split herself into three bodies.

 

“Hahaha, I am awesome, am I not? Victory is mine!” the Kitsune laughed, smiling with an air of superiority. As it turned out, that was a fatal mistake: when she smiled, only her real body actually did, whereas the other two remained impassible. Luka immediately noticed the incongruity, and capitalized on the Kitsune’s blunder by quickly closing in and lightly swiping at her. Ako shrieked in fright, losing concentration and allowing her copies to dissipate, and quickly backpedaled away from the boy Hero before her, looking confused and angry at the same time.

 

“Y-you... how did you see through my magic?!” she muttered, displeased, as she raised her jitte again. “Ugh, this is so humiliating! But I’m not giving up! I’m still going to win, even if you countered my secret technique!”

 

Undeterred by her failure, Ako resumed her assault, this time alternating attacks with her jitte to sexual assaults. However, Luka had time to get used to her movements, and the battle became somewhat more balanced. It quickly became evident that the victor would be the one who first exploited a mistake on the opponent’s behalf.

 

Ultimately, it was Ako who made that mistake. During a particularly intense assault, she miscalculated the distance and fell short of her target, missing Luka with a swiping attack. Luka instinctively reacted to the opening and, before he realized it, lunged at her with Demon Decapitation. When he realized what he was doing, it was too late to pull his blow, and he watched helplessly as Angel Halo struck true and cut deep into Ako’s shoulder. The enchanted blade’s effect then took over, and the confused Kitsune’s form suddenly unraveled until only a cute white-furred fox remained. Seeing his mistake, Luka sheathed his sword and knelt next to the sealed fox girl, looking mortified.

 

“Ah - I-I’m very sorry!” he apologized profusely to the Kitsune, who had recovered from the shock and was now glaring at him with a betrayed look. “I reacted on instinct when I saw an opening, and-and I really didn’t mean to do this. I, uh, I’ll try to find a-- ow ow ow!”

 

Luka’s last exclamation was due to the tiny fox having bitten into his hand as he tried to touch her. The boy drew his injured extremity back, wincing, and the little fox glared at him one last time before she ran off. Luka stretched his uninjured hand out in an attempt to call her back.

 

“Ah! Wait!” he shouted after her, but the fox was gone before he could explain himself or even stop her. He looked at the passage down which she’d headed and groaned, hanging his head low.

 

“That didn’t go over too well, did it?” Thermidor helpfully commented with a raised eyebrow. Luka glared at her before he got up, nursing his hurt hand.

 

“Shut up, please,” he grumbled irritably, angry at himself for his blunder. “I know that I messed up. I didn’t mean to seal her, and even told her so, and yet I still did. I’ve got to find her and properly apologize, even if she won’t forgive me. And I’m worried that she may be attacked by other monsters in that form. This mess is my fault, and I have to take responsibility.”

 

“Well said, although if you hadn’t requested a duel, it’d probably have been less inconvenient than it is now,” Alice commented, emerging from the tunnel leading to the beach outside. Glancing at her, he noticed there no longer was light coming in from outside. Did we duel for this long? he wondered. Ako is certainly skilled. I had to rely on everything I was taught to weather her assaults... I hope I can find her so I can properly express my respect.

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Thermidor replied to the Echidna. “She looked pretty determined to not let us pass, and a fight would probably have been inevitable.”

 

“That’s also true, I guess. Kitsune are stubborn. Well, if you want to find her and apologize, you’d better get moving,” Alice told Luka. “She was running off pretty fast, last I saw her.”

 

“Yeah... let’s hurry,” he agreed as he quickly sheathed his sword, straightened his clothes and picked his lantern up. “I’m worried that she may get hurt while in that form. I’d like to at least escort her to her companions so she can be safe.”

 

Saying that, Luka took off, quickly walking down the passage leading deeper in. Sighing, Thermidor picked her own bag up and quietly followed suit. Alice paused for a second, then shrugged as she slithered off after the two.

 

“Fine, let’s go find the lost little fleabag,” she commented, annoyed. “And let’s just hope her companions don’t misunderstand what happened and beat you to a pulp...”

 

----

 

For the next few minutes Luka anxiously explored the cave, looking for any sign of Ako, but the sealed Kitsune was nowhere to be found. As he explored, the boy Hero came across a Meda, an insect-type cave monster, which he promptly brushed aside by whacking it over the head with the sheath of his sword and running past it while it was stunned. Thermidor and Alice followed more leisurely, looking at the stunned, confused monster with a mixture of pity and amazement: apparently, getting in Luka’s way when he was fully focused on someone’s safety wasn’t a very smart or healthy idea. Alice cast a quick healing spell at the fallen monster as she disappeared from its view; at the very least it’d relieve the headache it was no doubt experiencing.

 

As it turned out, Luka had reason to be in a hurry. Turning a corner, the boy suddenly heard frightened yelps ahead, along with an odd clicking sound and some giggling. Worried, he broke into a run and rapidly turned a corner into a room ahead, looking for the noises’ source. As he rushed in, he skidded to a halt and his eyes narrowed, taking in the scene before him.

 

As he’d feared upon hearing her yelp, Ako had run into trouble: probably due to not paying attention as she ran away, she’d rushed headlong into a very large spider’s web, and its owner, a Spider Girl, had showed up to claim her dinner. The arachnid monster had a green-colored carapace and legs, with similarly green-tinged hair on her human upper half. An odd bright pink marking was visible on her forehead, and two more markings decorated her abdomen’s underside. Her golden-colored eyes were currently fixated on the Kitsune trapped in her web.

 

The sealed Kitsune, for her part, was struggling to break free of the web, while the Spider Girl was spraying more silk on her as she approached. Luka swore under his breath as he drew Angel Halo, rushing towards the two figures. As he did, Thermidor and Alice reached the opening to the room as well, and quickly took in the situation.

 

“Oh, dear. This might get ugly,” Thermidor murmured as she saw Luka run towards the Spider Girl. Beside her, Alice shook her head.

 

“Let him do his thing,” she told her. “I’m curious to see how he deals with this situation. That Spider Girl looks hungry; I don’t think his usual persuasion methods will work very well. But at the same time, he can’t simply seal her up: this situation is no fault of her own. Let’s see what he’s made of...”

 

“More tests? I’m not sure I like where you are going with this,” Thermidor replied with a scowl. “But I’ll do as you say, for now. Now stop distracting me.”

 

As the two monsters talked, Luka closed in on the Spider Girl and stopped right behind her, noticing she was so focused on Ako she was still oblivious to his presence. I could easily score a decisive blow if I wanted to right now, he thought. But... she hasn’t done anything herself. I should try to reason with her.

 

Deciding on his course of action, Luka lowered his blade to a non-threatening position and took a deep breath.

 

“Wait. Please, stop what you’re doing and listen to me!” he exclaimed loudly, causing the Spider Girl to jump slightly at the sudden voice from behind. Turning around, the monster peered at him, and her eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Huh? A human! I haven’t seen your kind in here for years now...” she murmured, eyeing him with interest. “What do you want, human? I’m hungry, and I was getting ready for dinner.”

 

“I must ask you to let that fox go,” Luka explained keeping his voice low and even. “She’s a Kitsune whom I accidentally sealed into that form, and if not for me, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Would you please let her go?”

 

“...Let her go? Hmm...” the Spider Girl hummed, appearing lost in thought. She peered at the fox, who had stopped struggling and was looking at the scene before her with a hopeful expression, and then back to the boy, who was patiently waiting for an answer. Her eyes narrowed briefly as she took his shape in, then she smiled slightly and moved one of her legs, tearing a section of her web off. The act freed the fox, who yelped in relief and ran off towards Thermidor, hiding behind her and peering out from behind her leg. Luka sighed in relief.

 

“Thank you for being understanding,” he told the Spider Girl. He was about to add something when his instincts suddenly went on high alert and her smile turned predatory. Dodging to the side, he narrowly avoided a jet of silk she suddenly shot out at him, and swore again as he brought his sword up. I should’ve known it was too easy to be true, he thought grimly.

 

“I don’t mind,” the Spider Girl explained as her hungry grin widened, exposing her fangs. “I just found a much better and tastier meal.”

 

“Wait! There’s no reason for us to fight!” Luka appealed to her, still hoping to avoid a fight. “All I want is to leave quietly with that Kitsune, and none of us will disturb you anymore afterwards!”

 

“Do you really think I’m going to let you get away just like that?” the Spider Girl asked, a hint of annoyance creeping in her tone. “Food has been scarce and I haven’t eaten in weeks! I’m not going to let a delicious morsel like you go, no matter what you say! I might never get another meal as rich as you!”

 

“Guh! Don’t do this! I understand your point, but--” Luka pleaded, trying to placate the monster. However, he was interrupted by yet another jet of silk missing him by inches.

 

“No, you don’t! Do you have any idea what starving feels like?!” she retorted, now looking angry. “I don’t want to hear anything else from you! Just be quiet like a good meal! Besides,” she added, her expression becoming a bit sultry, “you’re going to like it. Men always look so happy when I’m eating them...”

 

Ugh, Luka thought, narrowly avoiding one of the Spider Girl’s legs as she lashed out at him. She has a point... if it’s really been weeks since she ate, she’s probably out of her mind with hunger. I’ll have to defeat her, but I don’t want to...

 

As he considered his plight, a flash of inspiration came over him. Wait, she’s a monster, not a normal spider! he realized. Perhaps she can eat human food? I have some Happiness Honey, too... if I can subdue her instead of sealing her, perhaps I can placate her by offering her some of my food reserves! It’s worth a shot, anyway.

 

Having decided on his battle plan, Luka began his own assault on the spider monster. This time, however, he made sure to only use the flat of his blade. He had no wish to seal another monster just because she was understandably hungry and following her natural instinct, and while he felt bad about hurting her, he hoped she’d become reasonable after being hit a few times.

 

The battle was short, but rather intense. Due to the closed quarters and the Spider Girl’s multiple limbs, Luka found himself having a hard time maneuvering, and in one instance even got pinned down by her silk. Fortunately, Angel Halo proved itself capable of actually breaking the silk along with enough effort on his behalf, which allowed him to struggle free. As he and the monster exchanged blows, he managed to drive her against a wall, and when she missed him with another silk shot, he exploited the brief hole in her defenses, staggered her by attacking her legs twice in rapid succession, and jumped at her, knocking her to the ground and driving her upper body against the wall. He promptly shoved his arm against her throat, pointing Angel Halo at her as he panted from exertion.

 

“Please, surrender. I don’t want to fight you,” he asked her in a pleading tone. “I understand that you’re hungry. You are not wrong in wanting to eat. Normally, I wouldn’t interfere in your hunting, but that Kitsune’s state is my responsibility, and I myself am on an important journey and cannot afford to become food for a monster.”

 

“L-let me go, human!” the Spider Girl growled as she strained against him. However, his arm was firmly planted against her vulnerable throat, and she found herself gasping slightly as her supply of air was reduced by the pressure. Frustrated, she glared at him. “Why should I go hungry just because you say so? I have the right to eat, too!”

 

“I know that. Which is why I’d like to share my own reserves of food with you,” he told her. The boy’s words caused the Spider Girl to stop struggling and blink, surprised. “It’s human food, and I’m not sure if you can eat it, but I also have honey from Happiness Village’s bees. I’d assume you can at least eat that. Will you accept my offer, please? I don’t want to make this any more unpleasant than it already is. For either of us.”

 

“You’re... sharing your food with me?” the spider monster asked, curious. “Even though I tried to eat you?”

 

“As I said, I can’t fault you for trying,” Luka told her, easing the pressure on her throat and allowing her to take a deep breath. “I already explained my reasons to you, but I also understand that after getting your hopes up like this, you deserve compensation of some sort for being robbed of a meal. So... I’m offering you all I have, except my life. Will you accept?”

 

“...Mmmm...” the Spider Girl eyed him quietly as she considered his offer. Peering at him, she saw him smile at her hopefully, and after a brief hesitation, sighed and nodded. “Oh, okay. If you’ll feed me, then I’ll leave you both alone. But you’d better have some good food!”

 

“It’s all cooked and preserved, to be honest,” Luka admitted as he let go of her and backed off, letting her straighten herself up. “But I hunted game and went fishing myself mere days ago to collect this food, and I can assure you it’s fresh and healthy. And the honey lasts a long time on its own. Come with me, if you will...”

 

As Luka and the Spider Girl talked, Thermidor watched, genuinely amazed that the boy would be able to talk a predatory monster out of eating him. Behind her, Alice shook her head as she hid in the shadows.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the Echidna muttered incredulously. “He’s actually befriending a man-eating monster?! Just who is that kid?!”

 

“Luka is Luka,” Thermidor replied simply. “He seems to have an easy time making monsters grow fond of him.”

 

“That’s an understatement. I’ll have to ask him how he does it later,” Alice commented dryly as she creeped away in the passage to avoid detection from the approaching monster, who was following Luka back to his supplies.

 

“I’m not sure even he knows,” the fencer replied with a low chuckle. She then smiled at the boy, offering him his traveling pack. “Impressive, Luka. You did amazingly well.”

 

“You mean I managed to keep damage to a minimum,” he replied with a snort as he took the offered bag. “This is the best outcome I could hope for, given the circumstances, but I still messed up. Ah, I see you’re still here,” he added, addressing the Kitsune still hiding behind Thermidor with a smile. “Please don’t leave yet. I need to properly apologize to you for this horrible blunder I made. I really am sorry for having put you through this mess.”

 

Ako’s only reply was to cock her head, peering at him with curiosity as her ears and nose twitched. Luka smiled again at her, then began to rummage through his backpack, quickly extracting several portions of miscellaneous food from it, including a small jar of Happiness Honey. Opening the latter, he promptly offered it to the Spider Girl, who wandered closer, attracted by the sweet scent suddenly filling the cave room. After a brief moment of hesitation, the monster took the jar and tentatively dipped a finger in it, sniffing at the sticky substance on it with a curious expression. Luka couldn’t help but smile at that: in spite of being a dangerous predator, the Spider Girl’s behavior was very cute at the moment.

 

“You’ve never tried honey, have you?” he asked her, prompting a slow head shake from the monster. “It’s alright. Go on, try it. I think you’ll like it.”

 

The spider monster gave him a suspicious look before returning her gaze to the jar in her hands, and she involuntarily licked her lips. Apparently, the sweet scent appealed to her. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally caved in and brought her fingers to her lips, cautiously lapping some of the honey off them. As she tasted the honey, her expression quickly changed and she began to lick the sticky treat off her hand more insistently. Then, she promptly turned to the jar, dipping into it to recover more of the tasty food and wolfing it down with an obvious happy hum.

 

Luka nodded, satisfied that the honey was to her liking, then began looking for something a little more consistent. While spiders normally didn’t eat solid food, he imagined she could at least try some of the more plain rations he’d prepared. Choosing quickly, he fished out a slice of grilled chicken breast he’d prepared while in town, two apples, an orange and some freshly caught fish he’d managed to snag during a pause in their trek from Iliasport to the cave. Turning back, he noticed the Spider Girl had stopped eating the honey and was eyeing the supplies he’d taken out with interest. He made a gesture of invitation towards her.

 

“Go on, take whatever strikes your fancy,” he told her with a smile. “I’ll just get more later, and you need the food more than I do.”

 

“If it’s okay, then...” the monster replied, tentatively reaching for the fruits. Taking the orange, she looked at it uncertainly, then looked at Luka again. “Um... I’ve seen these before, but I’m not sure how I am supposed to eat them...”

 

“Right, let me prepare it,” he replied, extending a hand. The Spider Girl handed over the orange, and Luka began to peel it, looking at her as he worked. “I have to ask, though. If you’re so hungry, why are you staying here? It obviously isn’t a good hunting ground.”

 

“It used to be good for all of us who live here, until that chest bitch came in and helped herself to our food,” the Spider Girl hissed, sounding very angry. “Now there isn’t enough food for everyone, because she keeps wandering around and eating everything. We wouldn’t complain if she chose an area and kept to it like the rest of us, but she doesn’t do that! She keeps stealing all our prey and the rest of us are starving because of it!”

 

“...Chest bitch? Uh, I’m not sure I follow...” Luka asked, slowing down in his peeling speed as a vague sense of dread welled up inside him. “Whatever would you be talking about?”

 

“Right, you haven’t been eaten, so you didn’t meet her yet,” she explained. “It’s a Mimic. She wandered in a few months back, and has been gobbling down all the prey that wanders in here - wild beasts, birds, rats, the occasional tomb raiders and graverobbers... she just isn’t leaving anything for anyone else. We’re all angry about it, but she’s stronger than we are, so there’s nothing we can do. We were hoping the two Kitsune who passed through earlier would get rid of her, since they were crazy strong, but she must’ve felt the danger and hid until they left. It’s so frustrating!”

 

“Two Kitsune, you say?” Luka asked, interested, as he finished peeling the orange and handed it back to the Spider Girl. He remembered Ako did mention someone named Tamamo earlier, and he had a feeling that might be important. “Which way did they go?”

 

“Deeper, towards the old human temple in the back,” the monster replied as she took the orange. Pausing, she sniffed it curiously, interested by its tangy scent, then tentatively gave it a bite and yelped as her teeth pierced the surface, releasing the tasty nectar inside. Intrigued by the new taste and now in familiar ground as far as eating went, she began sucking up the orange’s juices, humming happily. “Mmmm. This is good. It tastes odd, but it’s good. It’s an orange, right? I remember some of the humans who came to the temple here talking about this kind of food.”

 

“Hm? You were here when humans still visited?” Luka asked, curious. The Spider Girl nodded.

 

“Yes. Sometimes, sailors and wanderers would come in, go to the temple, and leave offerings on the altars,” she explained while nibbling on the orange. “We monsters knew not to prey on them because they’d wear objects and clothes with the Sea Queens’ emblems on them, and those who wore such things, we were forbidden from harming. The others sometimes chatted with them, but I never really felt like speaking with those humans. Then, a few years back, they started coming less and less often, and finally stopped. To be honest, this place has been pretty glum without those humans making it noisy. It’s kind of nice, talking like this.”

 

“Well... normally I’d suggest not eating the humans who wander in here looking for treasure, but those types tend to not be very talkative and prefer using violence, so I guess that’s not an option,” Luka commented, thinking. “Still, it’s a bit depressing to think of how lively this place used to be. Maybe I can persuade Captain Greybeard and his crew to stop by every now and then, and while they’re at it, they could bring more food to all of you.”

 

“More of this honey and these fruits? That’d be nice, too,” the Spider Girl nodded, smiling. “I like them. It’d be a change from the usual menu if I had some every now and then. Although, my kind prefers meat...”

 

“Hmm. I can’t say I’m thrilled at the thought of you hunting humans, but I can’t fault you for doing it, either,” Luka admitted reluctantly. “I won’t tell you to not do it, but it’d be nice if you let humans who don’t bother you go when you aren’t hungry.”

 

“Well... having some reserve food would be better, but if you insist, I’ll try and let humans go when I don’t feel like eating,” the monster sighed, frowning. “I’m not too sure this’ll be a good idea, but you’ve been nice to me, even though I tried to eat you. I’ll try to be nice, too.”

 

“That’s enough for me. Thank you,” the boy Hero nodded with a grin. “Now then... before going any deeper, I should find that Mimic and see if I can make her stop hogging all the prey to herself.”

 

“Don’t go near her. She’ll eat you,” the Spider Girl frowned. “Why would you want to get eaten by her? If you want it that badly, let me eat you! That nasty mound of splinters is pigging out enough as it is!”

 

“I already said I don’t plan on getting eaten,” Luka told her sternly. “I want to find her, and make her stop starving the lot of you. Even if I have to get rough. What she’s doing isn’t nice at all. If she plans to live here, she needs to show her neighbors some respect. Nobody likes a bully.”

 

“Well... yes. But she’s stronger than we are,” the Spider Girl said, looking dubious. “Do you really think you can win?”

 

“With any luck, there won’t be a fight,” the boy replied. “But if push comes to shove, I’ll shove right back. And to be honest, I held back a lot against you, because I thought you weren’t wrong in your actions and I didn’t want to needlessly punish you or anything.”

 

“You weren’t fighting seriously? I’m not sure how that makes me feel,” the monster muttered, looking a bit angry. She then relaxed. “But if that’s true, then you might be able to beat her up. If you do, everyone in this cave will be very grateful to you.”

 

“I’ll do what I can. Where have you seen that Mimic last?” Luka asked. The Spider Girl looked thoughtful for a moment, then pointed at the door Luka had entered from.

 

“You have to go back to the first crossroad, then keep going straight,” she explained. “Turning right leads to outside, which you should know since you came from there, and left leads to the humans’ temple, where the Kitsune went. The Mimic fled from them through the other passage.”

 

“I see. I’ll be leaving, then,” Luka nodded. “You can keep the jar of honey, and the food I took out for you, as well. It’s not much, but I hope it will at least make you feel a bit better.”

 

“Wait, do you have more of those oranges?” the Spider Girl asked, holding up an apple she had taken a bite out of. “These other fruits are kind of good, too, but the oranges were the best.”

 

“Those are apples, and yes, I do have more oranges,” Luka nodded as he rummaged through his backpack again. “Let me see... ah, here! I have three of them. It’s not much, but have them. If I can convince the Captain to drop by here when I go back, I’ll be sure to mention you like oranges.”

 

“Thank you! Let me see, you open them like this?” she said as she began to awkwardly peel the oranges. Some juice spilled through her fingers, and she cried in disappointment, quickly slurping it up. Sighing, Luka took the orange and showed her how to peel it, then watched as she tried peeling a second one, succeeding after a few moments of uncertainty. Smiling at the Spider Girl’s delight as she began to nibble on the oranges, he waved at her and left, with Ako trotting after him. Thermidor followed suit, and after a brief moment, Alice’s figure also moved after them in the darkness.

 

As he departed, he shook his head, admiring the spider monster’s cuteness in spite of himself. For a dangerous man-eating predator, that girl had a very pretty smile.

 

----

 

It didn’t take long for Luka to retrace his steps and take the passage the Spider Girl mentioned, and it took even less to track down the Mimic: she had made no attempt to hide and was quietly standing in the middle of the corridor, clearly pretending to be just another treasure chest. Luka stared at it, incredulous.

 

“You can’t be serious,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Are you really telling me anything smarter than a donkey is stupid enough to fall for such an obvious trap? There’s nothing normal about a chest abandoned in the middle of a corridor! She might as well hang a sign reading, ‘Please feed the Mimic’ above herself...”

 

“You’re grossly overestimating the intellect of the average treasure hunter, Luka,” Thermidor said with a wry smile. “When a typical tomb raider comes across a chest - any chest - their greed tends to override most anything else. The few successful adventurers are those who can control said greed and not let it overcome their sanity. Most of them... don’t pass the test.”

 

“I’m seriously starting to think that theory about how Mimics are really doing humanity a favor by weeding out the more idiotic individuals is true,” the boy replied darkly. “When someone places even survival instinct below their thirst for money and power, something clearly went wrong in their mind. Oh, well, let’s get this over with. All this nonsense is giving me a headache.”

 

Drawing Angel Halo, Luka approached the chest monster, keeping a close eye on it to spot any sudden movements. Finally, he stopped about a meter away from the chest, his sword hanging loosely by his side, and gave the chest a stern look.

 

“Hey,” he called out, and waited. After half a minute, receiving no answer, he raised Angel Halo and lightly tapped it on the Mimic’s lid. “Hey. Don’t ignore me.”

 

One more minute passed in complete silence before Alice, who’d rejoined the group and revealed herself to Ako earlier, began to giggle at the scene. The Kitsune, who was standing so that Thermidor was between her and Alice, gave her a mixed look of annoyance and wariness: the very first thing the Echidna had suggested upon rejoining the group had been to cook her, after all, and Ako hadn’t been amused in the slightest. Fortunately, Luka had shot down the idea in less than a second, an act that she’d been grateful for, expressing her appreciation by lightly nuzzling against his hand.

 

“Would you please be quiet?” Thermidor whispered irritably. “Mimics don’t have very good hearing, but if you keep this up she’ll hear us. She’s not supposed to know we’re here, too.”

 

“I’m sorry, but the scene is just so surreal,” Alice explained, wiping tears from her eyes as she struggled to contain her mirth. “A Fairytale Hero trying to have a conversation with a treasure chest! I know she’s a monster, but the picture I get now is just--”

 

“Shut. Up,” Thermidor hissed, sending a menacing glare her way. “Be quiet or so the First help me, I’ll gut you, Monster Lord or not. Luka’s in a dangerous situation, I need to focus in case he needs help!”

 

“Fine, fine. Spoilsport,” Alice huffed, before looking at the scene and involuntarily letting out another giggle. The bloodcurdling, withering look Thermidor shot her way finally quieted her down. The swordswoman was clearly aggravated now, and teasing her any further might have proved unwise even for the Monster Lord.

 

Meanwhile, Luka had been patiently waiting for the Mimic to acknowledge his presence, but the lack of reaction on the monster’s behalf had started to get on his nerves. Apparently, the Mimic was still hoping he’d be stupid enough to approach and open the lid. Feeling his impatience and irritation rise, he thumped on the chest’s lid once more, a bit more forcefully.

 

“I know you’re a Mimic. You’re wasting your time trying to lure me into a trap,” he flatly stated, glaring at the monster. “Don’t make me come over there with this sword...”

 

“BLEAH!” the Mimic suddenly shouted as the lid abruptly snapped open and her humanoid torso shot out of the chest, spraying saliva and other unmentionable liquids all over the place. Luka jumped back as soon as the lid cracked open, having been on the lookout for movement, and raised his sword, his eyes narrowed as he awaited the Mimic’s next move.

 

The monster promptly ducked back in the chest, and the lid slammed shut once more.

 

Luka blinked, then blinked again, then felt the veins in his temple throb as his temper began to flare. Barely restraining himself from chopping the chest monster up, he stared at it with barely repressed rage.

 

“What. In. Blazes. Was. That. For?!” he asked slowly, his voice steadily rising with each word. “Are you trying to piss me off?! Stop playing this stupid game and listen to me! I came here to talk to you!”

 

Once more, the Mimic remained silent, and Luka began to feel severely tempted to grab the closest slab of rock and grind the monster into splinters. Squashing his violent urges, he gave one last look at the monster.

 

“Fine, if you won’t listen to me now, I’ll return later,” he muttered as he began to turn around, shrugging. “I've got more urgent things to do right now than play some screwed up version of ‘hide and go seek’ with a cannibal box.”

 

As he moved to leave, the chest’s lid cracked open and a pair of malicious red eyes peered out.

 

“When you turn your back to me, I’ll eat you...” the Mimic murmured. Luka froze at those words, then slowly turned around, a stiff smile plastered on his face. His eyes, however, were anything but smiling, and the cold gaze he leveled at the Mimic seemed to intimidate her, because she promptly shut her lid again, cutting off eye contact. Luka ignored her actions and slowly walked closer to her, still smiling stiffly. He stopped half a meter away from her and crouched, putting his head level with the lid’s border. His smile never wavered the entire time.

 

“When you pop your head out of that chest, I’ll stab you in the face,” he cheerfully announced. “Repeatedly. With a used, dirty, rusty fork.”

 

Back in the corridor’s shadows, both Alice and Thermidor goggled at Luka, incredulous at the boy’s sudden declaration. The Echidna looked at the swordswoman with a dubious expression.

 

“Uh... Is he always this... bloodthirsty when he’s frustrated?” she asked quietly. The fencer didn’t react for a few seconds, then slowly shook her head.

 

“No... no, he isn’t,” she denied. “He’s just bluffing. Probably. I hope.”

 

“Either that or he’s snapped under pressure and--” Alice added, only to be cut off by a dark glare from the other monster.

 

“What did I say about shutting up and gutting earlier?” she warned, fingering her sword. Alice backed off slightly, impressed in spite of herself by the aura of menace coming from the monster swordswoman.

 

“Yes, of course. Shutting up now,” she soothed her, wincing inwardly. Thermidor somewhat reminds me of Tamamo, she thought. I know I’m stronger than her, but somehow she makes it look like strength is wholly irrelevant. Speaking of Tamamo, this is going to be interesting. I never expected to run into her here of all places...

 

While Alice thought to herself, Luka and the Mimic were still locked in a standstill, with the boy still exhibiting a creepy smile on his face and the monster still obstinately refusing to acknowledge him. Finally, after a couple minutes of neither side moving, the lid slowly cracked open again, and the Mimic’s red eyes peered out, eyeing the boy with curiosity and a bit of wariness.

 

“Stabbing people is not a very nice thing to do...” she murmured. Luka nodded in agreement, his smile widening.

 

“Absolutely true,” he nodded cheerfully. “Ignoring people who are trying to start a civilized conversation with you and then threatening to eat them when their back is turned is not very nice, either. Just some food for thought. Wanna try this again?”

 

The Mimic remained quiet for a while, still peeking at the smiling boy. Finally, her gaze shifted uneasily to the side.

 

“What do you want...?” the monster asked. Luka sighed in relief at that.

 

“Finally, a decent conversation,” he said, looking satisfied. “You certainly are a woman who makes a man work for her attention. Anyway, I came here on behalf of the other monsters of the cave. They’re angry because you’re eating all the prey that wanders in. They asked me to tell you to stick to a section of the cave and not wander in their territory stealing their food.”

 

“Why should I do that?” the Mimic asked bluntly. Luka smiled again.

 

“Because I have a fork, and getting stabbed hurts,” he helpfully pointed out. “Look, they aren’t asking for anything unreasonable. You have the right to eat, too. Just leave food for them, as well. You can’t gobble up everything on your own. If you’re going to live here, start by being a good neighbor.”

 

“And if I refuse?” she asked warily. Luka sighed.

 

“If you keep refusing, I may have to become not very nice,” he stated flatly. “You’d make me mad. You wouldn’t like me when I’m mad. Just pick a sector of this cave and stick to it. You still get to eat whatever wanders your way, the other monsters in this cave will like you a little more, which can always be handy, and nobody gets hurt. Especially not you. Well?”

 

“...Fine. I’ll stay in this area from now on,” the Mimic grudgingly agreed after a few moments of silence. “But if I can’t find enough food, I’m looking for it elsewhere in the cave.”

 

“Fair enough, so long as food actually does start getting infrequent,” Luka nodded. “See, that wasn’t all that hard, was it?”

 

“...You’re a scary human. Go away,” the Mimic stated with finality before shutting her lid once more. Luka blinked, then sighed again, shaking his head as he turned around and left to rejoin his companions. Seems like I gave her a scare, he thought. Maybe threatening to stab her with a rusty fork was a bit excessive? Oh well, at least it worked. I feel dirty about threatening someone into agreeing, though... that’s hardly a heroic action.

 

As he returned to his companions, he noticed Alice and Thermidor’s stares and gave them a puzzled look. “What? Is something wrong?” he asked, confused.

 

“Well, the way you dealt with that Mimic...” Alice began, fishing for the right words. “How can I put it... threatening grievous bodily harm on someone while wearing a happy smile is not quite what Heroes are supposed to do. Not that I don’t approve,” she added quickly. “Browbeating is a valid method to rein in unruly subjects, after all, but it felt a little... Well, it's a bit out of character for you.”

 

“I’m human just like any other boy my age, you know,” Luka answered with a sigh. “Even I can get exasperated, and that Mimic just happened to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, to borrow a Sabasan expression.”

 

“Where did you even hear that expression?” Thermidor asked, curious. “I don’t recall ever saying it in your presence before.”

 

“I read books, Thermidor,” the boy pointed out. “I’m not ignorant, even if I can be gullible. I came across it when reading, and asked Mother about it. She explained its meaning to me.”

 

“Ah. Good point. No offense meant,” the fencer nodded, looking apologetic. Luka shook his head.

 

“None taken,” he replied. “After meeting you, I hardly ever picked up a book again, so you probably had no idea how much I liked reading before I focused on your swordplay lessons. I really should start reading again. Being strong is nice and all, but the mind needs its fill of training, as well...”

 

“I noticed you slipped into a more informal speech pattern when talking to that Mimic,” Alice said, intrigued. “Is that how you normally think and talk? And is your usually-formal way of speaking just for the benefit of those around you?”

 

“No, that’s how I speak when I am aggravated,” Luka shook his head. “I only slip into that speech pattern when I’m getting really mad and my irritation starts coloring my thoughts and words. Admittedly, I do try to be as polite as possible to others, but I don’t really make a conscious effort to do so. Most of the time, at least.”

 

“Most of the time?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. Luka gave her a flat stare.

 

“Some people make it very hard to remain polite and civil while talking to them,” he replied in a neutral tone. “Seeing how you’re a monster, I’m sure you’ve met the kind of people I’m talking about.”

 

“Yes... yes, I think I know that type of person,” Alice muttered, stealthily peeking at Ako as the Kitsune looked at them with curiosity, sitting near Luka. “All too well, in fact.” Turning back towards the boy, the Echidna cocked her head thoughtfully. “To be honest, I prefer you when you’re speaking your mind, though. I don’t know... when you were arguing with that Mimic, you were, how can I put it... more natural? Spontaneous? I thought you were incapable of being nasty to someone. That showed me a new side of you.”

 

“I’m not sure that side of me is a good thing,” Luka argued, giving her a dry look. She shook her head in disagreement.

 

“No, it’s a good thing,” she insisted. “It means you aren’t a storybook character. As you said, you’re just a boy like any other, and get angry just like any other. You just happen to be a lot stronger than the average.”

 

“So you’re saying I should get mad more often?” Luka asked her, looking incredulous. “Somehow, I don’t think that’d be ideal...”

 

“All I’m saying is that being polite all the time isn’t healthy either,” Alice specified. “It’s fine to drop the politeness when you disagree with something, or even simply when you’re tired of being all respectful all the time. It’ll take some stress off you, and no one will blame you for that. And even if you end up annoying someone, you’re you. You’ll find a way to make it up to them. So don’t worry.”

 

“Mmmm... makes sense,” Luka nodded, relaxing a bit. “Fine. I’ll try to not sound like a textbook when I’m with you two, at least.”

 

“That’s the spirit,” Alice agreed with a smile. “You can work it out from there.”

 

“Well, now that this issue has been taken care of, what should we do?” Thermidor chimed in. “Personally, I would report your success to the Spider Girl before we move on. She will be thrilled to hear the news.”

 

“Yes, let’s do that. I hope she keeps her promise, though,” Luka murmured worriedly, looking back at the chest monster, who hadn’t moved from the middle of the room.

 

“She will,” Alice stated, looking unconcerned. At the boy’s questioning glance, she shrugged. “There’s one thing monsters universally respect: authority. By getting right in her face and laying down the law, you established your authority over her, and intimidated her into bowing to it. She won’t go back on her word - monsters don’t have the mindset to do so once persuaded, generally speaking. Although, there are exceptions. Mind you, this only works if you’re stronger than the monster, and she can perceive it.”

 

“I see... Interesting,” Luka mused. “I’ll have to remember that. I don’t much like threatening or being aggressive, to be honest, but you make it sound like it’s an acceptable approach to dealing with some monsters. It’s an option to keep in mind.”

 

“It isn’t just acceptable,” Alice specified as the group began to head back to the Spider Girl’s lair. “Some monster species actually expect you to assert your authority if you want something, and failure to do so will cause you to lose their respect. Dragons, for instance, won’t listen to anyone who hasn’t proved their strength. Fortunately for you, they can be persuaded even if you’re weaker than them, so long as you give them a good, hard fight, so you don’t absolutely have to exceed Granberia’s strength in order to get her to listen.”

 

“Ogres, on the other hand, cannot be reasoned with - they have to be subdued by force,” Thermidor added, drawing Luka’s attention. “And I am told that if they lose to a man, they actually become completely subservient to that man, treating his every request as an absolute order and considering themselves that man’s slaves. They’re rare mountain-dwelling monsters, but if you meet one, your best bet is to run. Whether you win or lose, you’d be saddled with a rather problematic woman for the rest of your life, so fighting them isn’t really a good idea.”

 

“Unless the idea of an attractive monster attending to your every whim is your thing, of course,” Alice added with a smirk. Luka shot her a glare, causing her to chuckle. “Oh, don’t give me that look. It’s every man’s dream to have an obedient lover ready to grant their wishes, no matter how perverted they may be. You may not admit it openly, but deep down, that’s what all men want in a mate.”

 

“...The idea has a certain appeal, yes,” Luka admitted after a long silence as he kept walking, causing Alice to give him a surprised look. “But I’d rather have a mate who doesn’t act like a mere yes-woman. Isn’t life as a couple supposed to be about making each other happy, rather than just making only one of the two happy?”

 

“I’ll never understand how you can be so gullible at times and so insightful at others,” the Echidna shook her head. “What you say is true, of course. Sadly, with the state of the world as it is, most monsters will simply take the chance to have children, and have lost the ability to appreciate the finer pleasures of having a mate. If you really intend to make this world right, then know that you have a daunting task before you. It isn’t as simple as making monster attacks stop.”

 

“It’s a start, though, isn’t it?” was the boy’s reply. “Until monsters and humans stop killing each other over nonsensical reasons like ‘Because a book of scriptures said so’, everything else will be impossible to change.”

 

“One step at a time, eh? That’s a good way of thinking,” Thermidor nodded approvingly. “Slow and steady wins the race, or so they say.”

 

“There’s merit in speed, too,” Luka said as they approached the Spider Girl’s room. “But I don’t think in this case faster is better. Anyway, let’s save this discussion for another time. We’ve arrived.”

 

“Right, time for the Hero to turn in his quest and get his reward from the fair maiden,” Alice teased him. The young Hero gave her a dry look in return.

 

“I’m not sure this particular Spider Girl still counts as a ‘maiden’, but if that’s what you want the fairy tale to say, suit yourself,” he deadpanned, entering the room. Thermidor followed him, stifling a laugh, while Alice remained behind, stunned by surprise at Luka’s comeback.

 

“Did he just out-tease me?” she wondered as she followed her companions in the room. “He learns fast... this could become fun.”

 

----

 

“I can’t believe you really did it,” the Spider Girl said, looking pleased. “At least now the rest of us will have some food to eat instead of scraps and water. It’s good that you came around here. Thank you. I’ll let the other monsters know you’re a friend of ours and should be left alone.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Luka nodded with a smile. “Just, uh, please try to avoid eating too many humans. I understand that you need food, but as a human myself, I must admit I feel a bit uncomfortable about you eating my own kind.”

 

“Mmmm... fine. You did keep your promise, so I’ll do what you say,” the monster agreed. “I’ll talk with the others and convince them to leave most humans alone. But we’re considering those who attack us and those who walk straight into obvious traps fair game. If an oblivious human doesn’t notice a spider web that goes from floor to ceiling because he’s too busy looking for treasure, his stupidity and greed aren’t excuses good enough for me to skip a meal.”

 

“That does seem fair enough,” Luka replied after looking pensive for a moment. “I still feel a little uneasy, but I have to make concessions, too. And your proposal seems balanced. Oh,” he added as an afterthought, his expression hardening. “And if anyone declares themselves to belong to Ilias Kreuz, you may want to be careful about eating them. They’re the types who’d ingest deadly poison just so that a monster who eats them would die from it as well. Among other things.”

 

“He really does hate Ilias Kreuz, doesn’t he?” Alice whispered to Thermidor as the two monsters listened to the conversation. The swordswoman sighed, giving Luka a worried look.

 

“You don’t know the half of it,” she murmured, shaking her head. “And now, we’re supposed to go to Sentora, which is where their presence is strongest... I really hope nothing bad happens, especially since...”

 

“Hmm? Since what?” Alice asked, noticing the fencer had fallen silent and was giving her a speculative look. “You seem to have something in mind. Speak up.”

 

“All things in due time,” was Thermidor’s reply. “And the middle of a run-down old temple at night isn’t the right time, or place.”

 

“Fine, but I’m getting a bit impatient here,” Alice grudgingly conceded. “I trust you’ll tell us both - me and Luka - whatever you have in mind soon enough.”

 

“Port Natalia at the latest. I promise,” Thermidor said. “It’s time to lay it all down, at any rate.”

 

“Good. I’m very curious now,” the Echidna nodded with a pleased look. “I get the feeling what you have to tell us will be very interesting.”

 

“It might,” the fencer replied in a non-committing fashion. She then returned her attention to Luka and the Spider Girl, who had been chatting away in the meanwhile and were now saying their goodbyes.

 

“I’ll try and come back to visit sometime,” the boy told the arachnid monster. “In the meanwhile, I hope everything goes well for you. Be careful of Church knights. I don’t particularly care if you attack them, but those people are trained, even if Thermidor insists their training leaves a lot to be desired. You might end up being the one hunted down instead.”

 

“Mmmm. I’ll keep an eye out and try to avoid them,” she nodded. “Besides, grave robbers and criminals escaping from your law are the people who commonly wander in here, so there shouldn’t be a problem. That reminds me, I’ll have to tell the Mimic about not eating anyone who wears the Queens of the Seas’ symbols. It’s a rule none of us have ever broken - our only law, you might say.”

 

“If you’re having issues, tell her it’s a request from Luka,” Alice spoke up. “She won’t like it, but will fall in line.”

 

At those words, the Spider Girl’s head turned around, and she took a good look at Alice for the first time. For a brief instant she seemed confused, then she shook her head, as if to shoo something away.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind. You know,” she added, giving her a curious look. “I get this feeling that I should know you, but I’m sure we never met before. Strange, isn’t it?”

 

“You’re just imagining things,” Alice replied with a small grin. Thermidor shot a glance at her, but said nothing. Looking off to the side, however, the swordswoman noticed Luka had also glanced at the Echidna, and appeared to be thinking. The boy then shrugged and turned to the Spider Girl again.

 

“Well then, we’ll be leaving now,” he told her. “It was good to meet you, even if our first impression of each other was... less than optimal.”

 

“Well, sometimes fights lead to strong friendships,” Thermidor remarked, crossing her arms. Alice nodded.

 

“Indeed. All of my closest friends, I met in a fight,” she confirmed. Luka gave her a curious look.

 

“All of them? You must lead a pretty interesting life,” he quipped. The serpentine monster threw her head back and laughed.

 

“Ha! That’s one way of seeing it,” she agreed. “Although, ‘huge headache’ and ‘all effort, little result’ would also be accurate. But enough of that. We’ve already toiled away most of the night, Luka. Shouldn’t we get back to our quest?”

 

“We should, yes,” Luka said with a nod. He gave the Spider Girl one last look and smiled. “Best of luck to you. I’ll see if I can talk Captain Greybeard into dropping by and bringing supplies, so please don’t eat him or his men if they show up. You should recognize them pretty easily... I’m pretty sure his is the only pirate galleon navigating around here as of late.”

 

“Okay, I’ll be careful,” the Spider Girl nodded. “By the way, she said your name is Luka? I never told you mine. I’m Lamaia.”

 

“That’s a pretty name,” Luka told her. “I’ll be sure to remember it. Goodbye then, Lamaia.”

 

“Goodbye and good luck, Luka,” Lamaia replied, smiling. “Be careful with those Kitsune, they’re really strong. Nothing like me or that Mimic.”

 

“Thanks for the warning,” he waved at her as he left the room. Alice and Thermidor promptly followed in his footsteps, and the Spider Girl was left alone in her lair. After a few moments, she crossed her arms, lost in thought.

 

“It’s kind of nice, talking to humans instead of eating them,” she murmured as she returned to her web and began to reinforce it. “Maybe it’s time I started looking for a mate. Hmm, I probably shouldn’t eat him afterwards. Too bad Luka’s already taken... that monster in armor had his scent all over her. Oh well... maybe that Captain he mentioned has an interesting man or two in his crew?”

 

----

 

Having solved the situation with the Mimic, Luka finally moved on, heading deeper into Poseidon’s Cave. As he and his two companions pressed on, they finally began to come across the first signs of former human presence in the form of abandoned barrels, and eventually they began to see dusty tables, half-broken chairs and dilapidated bookshelves. Luka gave the remains curious glances as he walked past them.

 

“Wow, this place has not been tended to for a while now,” he muttered, noticing the huge amount of cobwebs and dust bunnies all over the place. “And look at how worn-down everything is. It almost feels like a haunted cave... I wouldn’t be surprised if a ghost or two popped out of nowhere.”

 

“G-ghosts?! Don’t be ridiculous!” Alice exclaimed in a strangely shrill voice as she abruptly stopped and grew pale, looking around nervously. Luka paused and looked at her, confused by her abrupt outburst and missing the sudden discoloration of her skin in the cave’s shadows.

 

“Uh. Did I say something wrong...?” he asked, puzzled by the Echidna’s reaction. “I was just commenting on the state of this place...”

 

“Well, don’t comment by saying stupid things!” she retorted, her voice still unusually high-pitched. “Everyone knows g-ghosts don’t exist! Of course they aren’t going to ‘pop out’ anywhere!”

 

“Er, okay,” Luka nodded slowly, a sneaking suspicion beginning to worm its way in his mind. “I was just trying to make small talk, since we were all being so quiet...”

 

“J-just shut up and hurry on,” the Echidna said, her eyes briefly darting around nervously as she quickly checked the dark corners of the corridor they were in. “Focus on what we came here for instead of stupid scare stories!”

 

“Fine, fine,” Luka sighed as he turned around and resumed walking down the passage ahead. Moments after he’d started walking, however, he felt a faint but steadily increasing pressure on his back, and noticed that whatever it was, it was warm and soft. Glancing back, he blinked as he saw Alice practically stuck to his back, looking worried and nervous, and blushed briefly as he realized the warm and soft things pressing into his back were her breasts.

 

I knew it, she is afraid of ghosts, he thought, torn between amusement and incredulity. I’d never have imagined this would be her weak point. But she’s really straying too close for comfort, although I must admit it feels kinda nice... Ah! No, no, no, stay down! I really don’t need Alice to catch me reacting like this to her closeness!

 

As Alice kept herself as close to the boy Hero as possible, and the boy in question struggled to keep a notable part of his anatomy down, Thermidor watched the scene, barely restraining the giggle that threatened to erupt from her lips. As terrible as it sounded, she couldn’t help but find Alice’s fear and Luka’s obvious arousal and discomfort extremely entertaining, especially with how the former’s agitation kept her from picking up on the boy’s reaction to her sticking her shapely body to his.

 

She briefly wondered if her amusement stemmed from her nature as an undead monster - after all, her kind were considered inherently malicious by most - but decided it was simply because the situation was just plain funny. She shook her head, smiling. Some Hero and Monster Lord, those two, she thought, chuckling under her breath.

 

The strange situation was broken up by muffled sounds coming from the end of the corridor ahead, where a faint light could be seen coming from a room. Luka’s attention snapped back to the current task, and his hand dropped to Angel Halo’s handle as he advanced cautiously, alert for possible ambushes. Ako quickly followed in his footsteps. Sparing a look backwards, he gave Alice a lopsided smile.

 

“You’re right. Ghosts definitely don’t pace back and forth in rooms, or make walking noises at all, for that matter,” he reassured her in a whisper. “I’d bet the person making all this noise is one of the Kitsune that came before us.” He paused, his eyes returning to the light ahead as he resumed advancing. “Or maybe both... it’s a little too much noise for just one person.”

 

“No, that sounds more like a four-legged being,” Thermidor shook her head as she followed him. “Maybe she changed shape?”

 

“It must be Nanabi,” Alice spoke up quietly, drawing both their attention. Luka stopped, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. The serpentine monster had regained her composure in a flash, and was now acting as if she’d never been scared in the first place. He privately couldn’t help but be impressed by the speed of her rebound.

 

“Who’s Nanabi?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

 

“One of Tamamo’s aides,” Alice explained. “She’s a Kitsune, too, but prefers to maintain the form of a fox’s body with a human’s torso - I think you humans call it a taurian form?”

 

“So she’d have four legs,” Luka nodded. “Makes sense. Then, you know this Tamamo that Nanabi works for?”

 

“She’s one of the Heavenly Knights,” Alice stated flatly. Luka’s jaw dropped as he gave her a bewildered look.

 

“What..? You can’t be serious...” he muttered, but seeing her eyes, he realized she was telling the truth. “No way... another Heavenly Knight? This could become very, very ugly if she isn’t friendly...”

 

“Tamamo likes humans,” Alice said, drawing Luka’s attention again. “She’s from Yamatai. Humans and monsters coexist peacefully there, although it’s a... peculiar arrangement. So long as you’re respectful, you should be fine. The problem might be Nanabi... If Tamamo gave her orders to not let anyone pass, then she’ll bar our way, no matter what, because she’s loyal to a fault. And she’s a seven-tailed Kitsune... I assume you know what that means?”

 

“Seven tails... and Ako only had two,” Luka grimaced. “Things don’t look very good, do they? And yet, I have no choice. I’ve got a duty to perform, too.”

 

“You two have a lot in common,” Alice sighed, grumbling her exasperation. “You’re both mule-headedly stubborn and utterly dedicated. Are you sure you aren’t really a Kitsune who lost her memory and got stuck in a disguise? Because you could be Nanabi’s brother, with how unreasonable you are once you've made up your mind.”

 

“Then maybe we’ll have a common middle ground to meet on,” Luka pointed out before he resumed walking towards the light at the end of the corridor. As he did so, he took his hand off the handle of his weapon; there was no need to give a bad first impression by barging in ready to draw steel. Or whatever Angel Halo is actually made of, he amended in his mind.

 

Turning the corner at the end of the passage, Luka found himself in a large, spacious empty room. A decorated iron and stone door could be seen on the opposite wall, and several lit lanterns hung from hooks in the ceiling.

 

However, what drew the boy Hero’s attention was the figure pacing back and forth in the middle of the room. It was, as Alice expected, a four-legged monster, having the upper body of a naked, attractive human woman, and the lower body of a fox with seven tails. She had short blond hair and fur, aside from her waist-fur, which was white, and the tips of her tails, which tended towards brown. Her eyes were similarly golden-colored. She seemed agitated, and her pacing stopped as she spotted Luka and his companions entering the room.

 

“Hmmm? And who would the two of you be?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she took the newcomers in. Luka didn’t even bother turning around this time: the Kitsune’s words confirmed to him that Alice had vanished as usual. Stopping at a respectable distance so as not to make the fox monster feel threatened, he regarded her with curiosity for a few moments before he spoke, taking note of the distinct aura of magical power hanging about her. This is no trifling opponent, he thought as he decided how best to address the seven-tailed Kitsune without offending her. I should try to avoid a fight with her if I can. This kind of power... just standing near her feels slightly oppressive, and she’s not even actively attacking me. It’s amazing.

 

“Good evening, Lady,” he began in a polite tone. “I assume you are the one called Nanabi? My name is Luka, and I am a trainee Hero currently on a mission to try and save the town of Iliasport. Please, do not misunderstand: while I call myself Hero, I--”

 

“I have heard of you,” the monster interrupted him, cocking her head as she gave him a curious look. “I stopped in Iliasport before traveling here, and a few human traders from the southern town who were about to return home praised the virtue of a young Hero who managed to bring a degree of stability to the southern region by solving several critical situations and brokering peace between humans and a small group of local monsters.” She crossed her arms below her breasts, looking puzzled. “Your actions made you rather unpopular with some of the more fervent supporters of the human goddess, from what I hear. One of the traders mentioned the Iliasburg temple’s priest was incensed by what you did, and that he had to be forced to acquiesce by the town leaders. Is it not difficult to legitimize yourself as a Hero in the eyes of your kind when such are your deeds?”

 

“I would hope that people will judge me by the result of my actions, rather than whether they follow dogma or not,” Luka replied. “And if I let the first obstacle on the road scare me, I’d never have decided to become a Hero in the first place. I’m not doing this for fame or riches. I just want to help people, from both sides, to get along and be happy. I’m not naive enough to think of it as an easy thing to do, but I’m prepared for the hardships ahead.”

 

“Mmmm... your intent is admirable, but are you strong enough to uphold it when it will inevitably become necessary to use force to do so?” Nanabi asked him, appearing interested. Luka nodded.

 

“I am. I’d like to think I can solve all problems with words alone, but that’d be a foolish notion to have,” he admitted. “I don’t like the thought of resorting to violence, but I know there will be times when I'll have to. Besides, I've heard that many monsters won’t respect someone who isn't strong enough to stand up for what he believes.”

 

“Whoever told you that was correct. You will attain nothing unless you can win the respect of monsters,” Nanabi confirmed with a nod. Her eyes then narrowed as she spotted Ako’s sealed form. “I must ask, though. How has my companion been sealed in an animal form, and why is she with you?”

 

“That is entirely my fault, and I sincerely apologize for that,” Luka said, looking mortified as he remembered his earlier blunder. “Ako mentioned she was a Kunoichi in training, and was gracious enough to accept my request for a friendly duel, as I had always wanted to face one of the shadow-walkers of Yamatai. But I let the heat of battle get the best of me, and involuntarily struck her with too much force with my sword, sealing her.” He pointed to Angel Halo at his side. “It is a magical weapon incapable of killing, but that didn’t keep me from making a mistake, and I am truly sorry for that.”

 

“Mmmm... Is that true, Ako?” Nanabi asked, looking at the tiny white fox. The other Kitsune nodded with a yip. After a few seconds of contemplation, the seven-tailed fox turned her eyes on Luka again and gave him an appreciative smile.

 

“I am impressed,” she told him in a friendly tone. “It’s not easy, admitting to such a thing, but you chose to be truthful, even though it may have made you look bad. Thank you for your honesty.” Her smile then faded slowly. “But, I am afraid there may still be cause for opposition between us. You came here to fetch Poseidon’s Bell, did you not?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I did,” Luka replied. “The storms off the coast are destroying Iliasport's trade routes, and the entire city is falling into ruin and despair because of it. I have to get to the bottom of their cause and stop them, and since they are most likely unnatural, I need the bell in order to take a ship out to sea so that I can investigate without being sunk.”

 

“I see. You are not wrong in your actions,” Nanabi agreed. “I, too, am troubled by the state of that human town. But, Lady Tamamo has chosen to support this solution as the one which would cause the least harm in the long run. The Heroes from the temple to the south must be stopped from leaving this land, as they have caused far too much grief in Sentora.”

 

“So the storms are unnatural, after all,” Luka nodded, thoughtful. He then gave Nanabi a hopeful look. “But, surely your Lady would understand that innocents are suffering here, too?”

 

“She does, and she is not happy about the state of things,” Nanabi replied. “But her duty, as leader of the Kitsune and Heavenly Knight of Earth, is to monsterkind first and foremost. And as her loyal retainer, I am duty-bound to follow her to the end of the world, if necessary. Please, try to understand.”

 

“I do,” Luka sighed after a brief pause. “I can understand duty and dedication. It’s admirable. What I hate is that it’s causing us to be at odds. I don’t want to fight you, but my own duty as a Hero dictates that I try to help anyone who suffers. Because of this...”

 

“...you need the bell,” the Kitsune finished for him in a quiet tone. “It’s truly a shame. Under different circumstances I believe we could be friends, and perhaps more. But as it is now, we can only fight to the death.”

 

“Is there no way I can persuade you to reconsider?” Luka pleaded, looking reluctant. The seven-tailed fox looked at him quietly for a few moments after that, then slowly shook her head.

 

“No. My loyalty to Lady Tamamo is absolute,” she told him. “I was ordered to not let anyone pass, nor to take the bell, and that is what I will do, so long as I still draw breath.”

 

“I see...” the boy murmured, frowning. Nanabi looked at him again, appearing hesitant, then sighed.

 

“I shouldn’t do this, but...” she began, drawing Luka’s attention and causing a hopeful light to appear in his eyes. “You seem like a honorable individual who will keep his word, so I’m willing to compromise with you, to an extent.”

 

“Do tell! I am listening,” Luka eagerly replied, suddenly feeling more optimistic at the Kitsune’s apparent wavering. Nanabi sighed again.

 

“We will fight, but we will employ non-lethal methods,” she explained. “Whoever manages to subdue his opponent first will be declared the victor. Should you win, you may proceed and try to claim the bell, although I must warn you that Lady Tamamo is searching the rest of the temple... and she’s far more powerful than I am.”

 

“I understand. What do you want me to do in return if you win?” the boy asked. Nanabi hesitated briefly as she looked down, thinking, then raised her eyes again.

 

“I want you to abandon this quest, and I will take you as my mate,” she replied. Luka’s smile wavered at that. “I rather like you as a person, and I’ve been looking for a good man, myself.”

 

“I’m not sure I can agree to those terms,” he answered after a pause. “First of all, I should warn you that I already have a mate, and will soon have children from her. I’m sure you can understand my reluctance to agree to anything that might keep me from seeing them again.”

 

“I assure you I am a better lover that a human woman, and--” the Kitsune began, but fell silent when Luka held a hand up.

 

“I never said she’s human,” he pointed out. “In fact, I specifically referred to her as my mate. She’s a monster - the Queen Harpy, Sophie, to be exact. And I’m not giving up my future children, regardless.”

 

“...Oh,” Nanabi murmured, unable to conceal her surprise. “I see. I had assumed otherwise.” Cocking her head, she regarded Luka thoughtfully, then smiled. “You’re even more intriguing than I thought at first. A Hero who helps monsters instead of killing them, and who has a monster as wife... how interesting.” Nanabi appeared to think for a second, then nodded. “Harpies are willing to share mates, so long as they receive their fair share of love and attention. I would be willing to be a mistress and sit in the shadows. Would that be better?”

 

“Uh... I’m hesitant to agree, but that does sound reasonable,” Luka admitted, thinking. “You will have to negotiate that with Sophie. I don’t think I can arbitrarily make such a decision without her permission. It’s her call as much as mine. And, to be honest, I’m still wrapping my head around the notion of being married in the first place, and to a monster queen to boot. I probably can’t be trusted to make impartial decisions at the moment.”

 

“That’s sensible. I will agree to that condition,” Nanabi nodded. “Is there anything else?”

 

“Yes, one more thing,” Luka nodded. “I cannot agree to completely abandon my quest. I am after more than just Poseidon’s Bell - I am on a journey to try and improve relationships between humans and monsters across all the known lands. I cannot simply stop and forget about it. I’m doing it for the future generations, as well.”

 

“World peace?” Nanabi asked, surprised. “That is a very tall order for someone as young and, if you’ll pardon my bluntness, inexperienced as you.”

 

“I know. Which is why I am traveling to see more of the world and gain experience,” he nodded. “My ultimate goal is to reach Hellgondo and talk to the Monster Lord. I hope I can persuade her to reach some sort of deal with humans. I’d like to contribute to the cause of peace between man and monster. In the meanwhile, I’ll help as many people as I can, as much as I can.”

 

“Mmmm. So you will still go after the bell?” Nanabi asked, looking disappointed. Luka shook his head.

 

“No. If you win, I will stop looking for it, as you wish,” he replied. “But in return, I want your help in convincing Lady Tamamo to spare Iliasport any more suffering. I will understand if the storms prevent contact with the mainland, but at least allow the people of Iliasport to fish and make a living off the sea. And if at all possible, allow merchants through so that commerce with the mainland can resume. I don’t care if you sink the Church’s Heroes - they tend to want nothing more than to kill monsters, and you have the right to defend yourselves from that - but please, leave innocent fishermen and townsfolk out of this. All they want to do is lead simple lives, and I doubt most of them even care about who’s right or wrong between the Church and the monsters.”

 

“And if Heroes hide on merchant and fisherman ships?” Nanabi asked. Luka bit his lip.

 

“...Then I suppose you have a right to stop them, too,” he sighed, lowering his head. “But if possible, spare the crew’s lives. I doubt most of them would voluntarily endanger themselves and their wares. It’s just that saying ‘no’ to a Church representative simply isn’t an option for the average human.”

 

“I see your point,” the seven-tailed fox murmured as she crossed her arms and began thinking. For a couple minutes, she did nothing but think and stare at Luka, who patiently waited for her answer. Then, she stirred and nodded at him, her decision made.

 

“I will agree to your conditions in the event of my victory,” she informed him. “You are correct in that innocents are suffering and while we should protect ourselves, we should also look out for those who are simply caught in the crossfire. And I think you may be able to persuade Lady Tamamo, should you win. She’s only doing this as a favor to a fellow Heavenly Knight, and seemed very depressed when we visited Iliasport and saw the state it was in. If you explain your motives, you may be able to talk her into it.”

 

“Thank you,” Luka smiled. “I’m glad we could at least avoid a fight to the death, and I appreciate your decision to give me a chance. Well then, shall we begin?”

 

“Now is as good a time as any,” Nanabi nodded as she moved to the center of the room. “But be warned, I fully intend to win this battle, and will employ every method I know to do so.”

 

“I won’t hold back, either,” the boy replied as he drew Angel Halo. “No offense meant, but I’d rather win than lose!”

 

Wasting no more time with words, the Kitsune lunged at Luka as soon as he was finished talking. Having expected it, the boy quickly darted to the side, mentally grateful for the fact the room they were fighting in was very large, and attempted a counterattack. However, he was forced to abort the assault and defend himself when Nanabi immediately whipped her tails towards him. The appendages impacted with Luka’s crossed arms, and he was knocked backward, grunting as he reeled from the blow.

 

Hmm, that blow was less powerful than I feared, Luka thought as he uncrossed his arms and moved to the middle of the room again to avoid being cornered, but still more powerful than I’d like. It seems she’s not a fighter by trade, which is lucky for me. But she’s a Kitsune, so I should be careful of her magic. I should make my speed count... she seems slower than I am.

 

Having decided on his battle plan, Luka began his own attack, and chose to use his Thunder Thrust skill while he was still rested and capable of moving at top speed. Darting in quickly, he lunged at the seven-tailed fox, putting all his speed and weight in the blow.

 

“Thunder Thrust!” he cried out as he lunged. The fox looked surprised, and was barely able to put up a defense as the attack connected, managing to only be hit in her shoulder. Taking several steps back, she blinked as she stared at Luka.

 

“You can use Cursed Sword skills? You are full of surprises, Hero Luka,” she murmured, smiling slightly. “I think this may turn out to be more enjoyable than I thought.”

 

Luka didn’t reply, remaining focused on the task at hand. Stepping forward again, he slashed at Nanabi, but the fox stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. Her counterattack, however, also missed as Luka quickly fell back, getting out of her tails’ range. The boy’s follow-up was to quickly run around her, counting on her comparatively large mass slowing her turning speed down enough for him to flank her. It worked, as she found herself with her side exposed, and Luka moved in for an attack, dodging a sudden tail swipe and striking her side with Angel Halo. The Kitsune grunted in surprise.

 

He’s faster than me, she thought. I didn’t expect him to be able to flank me like that. I need to protect my sides. I wonder, though... is he as strong as he is fast?

 

As Nanabi and Luka circled each other, both appeared to reach a decision on their next actions, and simultaneously moved towards each other. Luka’s action turned out to be Demon Decapitation, as he quickly swiped towards Nanami’s neck with his enchanted blade. The Kitsune raised her arms to protect her neck, and managed to intercept Angel Halo, avoiding a powerful blow. At the same time, she didn’t slow down, and barreled into Luka, knocking him away and to the ground with a tackle.

 

“Oof!” the boy grunted as he landed harshly on the floor, feeling a little dizzy from the sudden blow. He quickly scrambled to his feet, and felt a sharp, unpleasant pain in his chest as he did so. That might’ve cracked a rib, he grimaced. Taking a chance, he closed his eyes and began to quietly meditate. Nanabi observed him with curiosity, soon replaced by surprise as she watched his bruises fade away.

 

“Healing...? No way,” she breathed. “I didn’t feel any magic at all! How did you do that?”

 

“I’d like to know myself,” Luka replied as he opened his eyes again. “I simply do it. But discussing that isn’t what we are here for. Here I come!”

 

With that, Luka charged at Nanabi, sword wide at his side. As he approached her, he ducked to gain speed and rapidly got close to her, slashing twice in succession. The Kitsune was taken aback by the sudden burst of speed, and managed to only partially defend herself, receiving a rather deep cut to her side in the process. As always, the cut vanished as her energy dispersed, and the fox frowned, displeased at the loss of energy.

 

“You’re better than I thought,” she murmured as she backed off, with Luka doing likewise as he returned to the room’s center. Approaching him cautiously, she sidestepped a bit, then suddenly charged forward. Expecting another tackle, Luka dodged to the side, but this time the fox had other ideas, and abruptly whipped her tails to the same side, causing Luka to become tangled up in them.

 

“Gah?!” the boy exclaimed, caught off guard as the soft, furry tails quickly restrained him. “What the-- are those tails or tentacles? Let go!”

 

“I did say I’d do everything I could to win, didn’t I?” Nanabi replied with a satisfied smile. “You’re a very strong fighter, but I wonder how well you do against sexual assaults?”

 

As she spoke, She began to run two of her tails across Luka’s body, gently caressing him. The boy found the soft touch rather pleasant in spite of the situation, and began to strain against the tails holding him down as he felt his loins stir.

 

“Nrgh! Let go, I said!” he protested as he struggled against his bonds. For all that Nanabi’s tails were incredibly soft, they were also very strong, and he found it difficult to gain any leverage against them. The situation wasn’t made any easier by the fox’s caresses, which were becoming rather intimate as she slipped one of her tails in his pants and another under his shirt.

 

“I see no reason to do that, since you’re clearly enjoying yourself,” Nanabi retorted as she lightly ran her fingers over his arm and nibbled a bit on his ear. “Come on; if you give up, I’ll make it worth your while.”

 

As the fox talked, she became distracted with her assault on Luka’s body, and the boy managed to gain some leverage against her tails and more firmly grasp them. Wiggling around a bit, he repositioned himself so that he could exert as much strength as possible on a single spot, and then he pushed violently, grunting with effort as his muscles strained to remove the offending appendages from his body.

 

The effort paid off. Startled by the sudden surge of strength, Nanabi cried out in surprise and mild pain as she felt her tails being grabbed and pushed aside, losing more than a few clumps of fur in the process as the tails she was using to stimulate Luka were removed from inside his clothing. She quickly backpedaled, holding the aching extremities in her hands as she winced and letting Luka fall on the floor, panting. He didn’t waste any time in putting distance between himself and the Kitsune.

 

“That hurt,” Nanabi whined, sounding offended. “You didn’t have to be so forceful about it.”

 

Luka didn’t answer, instead choosing to meditate again to calm his libido. Nanabi’s ministrations, however brief, had proved rather effective, and he knew he’d be unable to focus on the battle unless he cleared his mind of distractions.

 

That again... it’s meditation, Nanabi thought as she peered at Luka and massaged her aching tails. Interesting use of it, I must admit. I wonder where he learned it. I’ll have to ask him. But this is getting out of hand. I should take this battle more seriously...

 

Reaching into a small pocket behind her back, the fox pulled out a small leaf, and placed it on her forehead, closing her eyes in concentration. Almost immediately, a large amount of magical power began to build up around her tails, and Luka’s eyes snapped open as he looked at her in alarm, having detected the sudden change.

 

What’s that?! he thought as he fell in a defensive position. Her aura has suddenly become much larger, and is still increasing. She’s accumulating magic power. I have a very bad feeling about this...

 

Having been made cautious by the sudden power spike, Luka set himself as best he could, his wounds having been healed by the meditating session, and prepared himself for the incoming attack. Attempting to disrupt Nanabi was also an option, but without knowledge of what she was about to do, it would be very dangerous to recklessly charge at her. His best bet seemed to be enduring whatever she was planning and hoping he could recover quickly enough.

 

Moments later, Nanabi finished accumulating magic and her eyes snapped open as a gust of wind blew the leaf on her forehead away. Her tails shone briefly, and then suddenly grew incredibly long, simultaneously homing in on Luka. Eyes widening, the boy covered himself from the incoming assault, protecting as much of his body as possible.

 

That turned out to be a vital choice, as the magically empowered tails began to mercilessly tease and needle at him, brushing against him from multiple directions in an intimate massage apparently designed to overwhelm the target with pleasure. Moving far faster than they had up until now, the tails managed to slip past any crack they found in Luka’s defense, snaking in under his clothes and around any and all bits of exposed skin, enveloping him in what seemed to be a world of softness and pleasure.

 

He gritted his teeth, feeling his excitement rise again as the tails gently stroked him from every direction in a most intimate way. From brushing against his thighs to softly snaking around his neck, to slipping over his back and around his waist, the tails relentlessly assaulted him. Luka desperately tried to focus and ignore the pleasure, knowing that he couldn’t give in or he’d lose the battle.

 

After what seemed like an eternity of soft hell, the tails shimmered again and abruptly retracted, returning to their normal length behind Nanabi as they swayed gently, almost appearing tired. Both Nanabi and Luka slumped, sighing as they began to recover from the assault. The boy appeared unsteady on his feet, while the fox was slightly flushed and out of breath.

 

As he breathed in deeply, trying to bring his accelerated heartbeat and erratic panting back under control, Luka looked up and saw the Kitsune appearing similarly worn out. Grunting, he pushed himself back to his feet, using Angel Halo as a prop, and with a supreme effort from his strained muscles, he dashed forward and slashed at Nanabi twice in succession, seeking to capitalize on the pause in the action. Too tired to put up a decent defense, the fox cried out in protest as Luka scored two clean hits to the collarbone and side, reeling back as she felt a large amount of energy seep out of the enchanted wounds. Shaking her head, she scrambled away, randomly waving her tails at the young Hero to keep him at bay. Luka grunted in frustration at having to abandon his assault, then retreated as well, and began to meditate.

 

For a few seconds, nothing moved as the two combatants regained their strength, then they finally looked at each other and slowly began to circle around the room’s center again, both warily eyeing the other’s actions.

 

“That was an amazing spell,” Luka admitted as he circled around the room, his eyes never leaving Nanabi for an instant. “I was lucky to endure through it.”

 

“It is more surprising you endured it at all,” the fox replied, glancing at him with a newfound respect. “Everyone else I used it on was incapable of even regaining their feet afterwards, much less continuing to fight.”

 

“I had a good teacher,” Luka replied simply. Having said that, he then suddenly dashed forward and began to unleash a flurry of attacks on the fox. Nanabi defended herself as best she could and retaliated with a few tail swipes, but this time Luka ignored her counterattacks and pressed the assault, overwhelming her and forcing her back with thin trails of energy seeping from multiple cuts before falling back and relenting. The fox staggered a few steps back, grunting.

 

Too fast... I can’t keep up, she thought, grimacing. At this rate I really could lose. I never thought someone this strong would appear on this journey. I will have to take a chance and try that again, even though I’m still tired from the last one...

 

Reaching behind her again, Nanabi pulled out another leaf and placed it on her forehead. This time, however, Luka did not stand by idly. Having experienced Nanabi’s powerful attack before, he knew he couldn’t afford to let her get off another one, as it’d certainly spell his defeat. Thus, he chose to stake everything on one last blow - much like he did against Granberia.

 

His decision made, he charged forward, and this time he spared nothing - every ounce of strength he could muster up, he put in his legs, gaining as much speed as he could as he closed in on the fox. As if sensing the danger, Nanabi cracked one eye open, and then both as she stared in alarm, her leaf falling to the ground forgotten. Quickly, she raised her arms up to try and defend herself, but Luka had gained too much momentum, and the hasty defense proved to be insufficient.

 

“Thunder Thrust!” Luka cried out as he stepped in and lunged straight ahead like an arrow. His attack struck true: in spite of Nanabi’s attempt to defend herself, Angel Halo’s enchanted blade went straight through one of her arms, and pierced her ribcage deeply. As she looked in shock at her arm, Luka pushed himself backwards and retracted the blade from the wound, causing a shower of energy to come out of it and pushing both himself and Nanabi away from each other. The Kitsune stumbled back, gasping in shock.

 

“U-ugh?! No way...” she murmured, feeling a considerable amount of her monster power vanish through the wound before it closed back up. Wobbling around on unsteady feet, she looked at Luka, who was propping himself up on his blade, panting as his legs shook slightly.

 

“Did it... work?” the young boy murmured as he peered at Nanabi’s unsteady form. His legs currently felt as if they were on fire, and he suspected he’d pulled something, but it appeared as if that last assault had done a lot of damage to the seven-tailed monster. Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself, feeling too tired to even meditate properly at the moment, and then straightened up as he grasped Angel Halo in both hands and looked at Nanabi.

 

That proved to be a mistake. Having been caught by surprise by the sudden attack, the fox’s earlier anxiety had turned to panic as she realized she was being pushed into a losing position. With most of her magic gone, she resorted to a method she didn’t usually employ in a fight: hypnosis. As Luka looked up and met her gaze, she channeled her remaining magic into her eyes and launched an illusory attack directly on Luka’s mind, ordering it to rest.

 

The effect was immediate: Luka suddenly felt very drowsy, and began to wobble as his eyelids attempted to close. He had just enough time to realize what had happened and curse himself for having forgotten Kitsune were mistresses of illusions, then he slumped against the near wall, his eyes going out of focus.

 

Nanabi sighed as she saw the boy deflate against the stone wall, trying to slow her breathing down. She hadn’t realized it up until now, but the excitement from the intense fight had really gotten to her, and she dimly noticed she was sweating heavily.

 

As she regained control of her breathing and her heart rate settled down a bit, she noticed a slight movement and looked up, confused. Her confusion turned into a stare, and then into open amazement as she watched Luka’s supposedly unconscious body stagger away from the wall and take a few steps towards her. He still had Angel Halo grasped tightly in his hand, but one look at his eyes was enough for Nanabi to realize that he was, indeed unconscious.

 

The boy’s body was simply moving while asleep.

 

Nanabi shook her head as her heart rate picked up again. She was unsure of what to do; nothing like this had ever happened before. Cautiously, she circled around Luka, attempting to discern his next actions. The boy moved to face her, and took one more step forward, but appeared to be sluggish. Feeling safer, the Kitsune approached him.

 

----

 

Off to the side, Thermidor stared at the scene, unsure of what to do. She had intended to intervene in the event of Nanabi getting too aggressive, but she hadn’t expected Luka to move around and react while asleep. In fact, she wasn’t even sure of why he was doing that. He didn’t suffer from sleepwalking as far as she knew, and she never taught him how to condition his body to fight even when unconscious; that was something only masters with decades of experience were capable of doing.

 

“Is this normal?” a voice quietly asked from the shadows behind her. Thermidor kept staring as Nanabi cautiously circled around Luka and he moved to match her, then slowly shook her head.

 

“No. This isn’t normal at all,” she murmured to Alice. “I have no idea what is going on... but for some reason, I get the feeling something is very wrong with Luka.”

 

“Wrong?” Alice asked. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean...” Thermidor began as Nanabi began approaching Luka. “I mean that, for some reason, he scares me right now.”

 

----

 

As Nanabi approached Luka, he seemed to react to her proximity, and straightened up a bit, though his eyes remained out of focus. His movements still seemed slow, but the Kitsune decided that restraining him was the best course of action, lest he wake up and prove problematic to subdue again. Approaching quickly, she reached out with her tails, intending to seize Luka’s body again.

 

The boy suddenly shifted out of reach.

 

Nanabi blinked, confused. She could’ve sworn she’d grabbed him, but apparently he was farther than she thought. Just then, she picked up a murmuring noise from him, and tried to listen to what he was saying, if anything.

 

“...mmmm... Shouldn’t... eat weeds, Alice...” she heard him mutter. This further confused her: she had no idea what he was talking about, and after a second, she concluded he had to be dreaming. Once more, she tried to move in and grab him with her tails.

 

And once more, Luka shifted out of the way. This time, he moved farther away from Nanabi than before, and she distinctly saw his body become partially transparent as he did so. Alarmed, she backed off, and at the same time Luka raised his weapon.

 

A moment later, she cried out as she found herself under sudden attack when the unconscious boy moved closer to her in a flash and began to violently hack away at the area she was standing in. The abrupt onslaught overwhelmed her in an instant, and she was unable to do anything but take every blow as a rain of slashes fell on her.

 

“Iyaaaa-! W-what’s going on?” she shouted as she reeled from the blows. That attack had left a notable mark, inflicting more damage on its own than she’d sustained throughout the whole fight.

 

----

 

Off to the side, Thermidor and Alice stared incredulously, the Echidna having come out of hiding when Luka had first started acting up.

 

“Is that... Death Sword Chaos Star?! No...” Alice muttered, looking at the scene wide-eyed. “It’s similar, but faster and more powerful. What’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know! I--” Thermidor began to reply, then stopped as she had a realization. “It has to be his power! Falling asleep in the middle of battle somehow triggered it...!”

 

“You’re joking, right?” Alice asked, incredulous. “That can’t be right. What he’s doing isn’t normal... how did he learn to move like that and attack this fast?”

 

Thermidor didn’t answer, instead watching as Luka and Nanabi kept fighting. Inside, however, she was beside herself with worry.

 

This couldn’t be good at all for Luka’s wellbeing.

 

---

 

Nanabi could hardly believe how much the tide had turned. In her intention, putting the young Hero to sleep should have allowed her to claim victory without further hostility. Instead, it seemed to have set him off somehow, and now she was not even able to strike him, much less put up resistance against his own attacks.

 

She attempted to strike him with her tails again, but he once more strangely shifted out of the attack’s way and retaliated with a crushing blow to her shoulder that made her arm numb even through the effect of Angel Halo. Luka’s moves seemed slow, but at the moment of attack he’d gain unreal speed and perfectly evade and counter everything she attempted to do.

 

Backing away from him, she decided to try and take a chance again, reaching behind her to pull one last leaf out and setting it on her forehead. She then began to concentrate, praying fervently that she’d be able to finish concentrating before he attacked her again.

 

To her surprise, Luka remained motionless as she gathered her magic power. She began to wonder whether she would be able to turn the fight around. He appeared to be willing to let her prepare her strongest attack. She slowly regained confidence: strong as he was, she was sure if she could use her Seven Moons technique on him, she’d win the battle.

 

As she finished charging, Luka seemed to snap out of his inactive state and looked up, his stare still vacant and unfocused.

 

“...rrrmmm... stop worrying, Thermidor, 'm a big boy now...” he muttered as he swayed from side to side. Nanabi gritted her teeth as she opened her eyes and released the magic power she’d stored up, and once again, it flowed into her tails, extending them and sending them towards Luka.

 

What happened next was most like a nightmare for the Kitsune. As her tails closed in at amazing speed, Luka began to move. One after the other, with the same apparent effort one would put into shooing a bug away, he weaved through the assaulting appendages, dodging every single one of their lunges and tail-whips. No matter how close they appeared to come to striking, he would always seem to shift right under or beside - and sometimes through - every attempt to strike him. The frustrated fox could only cry out in dismay as her most powerful technique was effortlessly dodged.

 

As her magic ran out and her tails shrank back to their normal length, Nanabi slumped back and collapsed onto her haunches, panting in exhaustion. As she did, she felt a sudden pressure from the direction Luka was in, and looked up to see him briefly shine before a small bead of light left his body and shot upwards, hovering in midair.

 

Then it grew.

 

Staring in horror at the growing orb of light before her, Nanabi knew at that point she had lost. She had time for one more thought before the bright orb slammed into her.

 

It's like a star falling into the Abyss.

 

----

 

Alice and Thermidor gasped as they saw the bright orb Luka produced crash into the prostrate Kitsune full force. Upon impact, however, rather than being flung away or even burned, Nanabi’s body began to unravel in an all-too-familiar fashion, and within moments, a small golden fox with seven tails was all that remained. Alice stared incredulously.

 

“That... can seal monsters without Angel Halo? Impossible...” she murmured as she watched the events unfold. “That should be high level magic that only monsters can use...”

 

“I knew it. It’s his power running rampant,” Thermidor muttered at her side as she looked on. “It took control of his body and made it fight on its own.”

 

“You - knew this was going to happen?” Alice asked her, still incredulous, as she pointed to the tiny fox Nanabi had turned into. Thermidor shook her head.

 

“No. But it makes sense. Everything makes sense, now...” she replied, looking subdued and lost in thought. Alice stared at her in disbelief, then shook her head as her eyes returned to Luka.

 

“This is insane. The strength he’s demonstrated is on par with a Heavenly Knight’s,” she said, frustrated. “And... I couldn’t feel any monster power, yet he clearly has some kind of hidden power within. What does this all mean...?”

 

“It means I may have to explain what I know sooner than I thought,” Thermidor replied cryptically. She then looked up in alarm as Luka wavered and then dropped to his knees with an unpleasant thump. “Luka?! Are you all right?”

 

“Wait! Is it really safe to approach him now?” Alice protested as Thermidor ran towards Luka. “He might attack you, too!”

 

Before Thermidor could answer, Luka’s head rose, and his eyes, now back into focus, looked at the room around him in confusion.

 

“Uh... huh? Where... am I?” he said, confusion clear in his voice. “What happened? I remember looking into Nanabi’s eyes and then...”

 

“You don’t remember?” Thermidor asked him. “About falling asleep, and what happened afterwards?”

 

“I fell asleep? Oh... Kitsune magic,” Luka murmured, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Then, it seems I lost...”

 

“Not quite,” Alice said as she cautiously approached him. At his questioning glance, she pointed to his side, and following her cue, he looked in that direction, spotting a golden fox with seven tails looking at him with curiosity and quite a bit of apprehension. He froze.

 

“Huh...? Wha-- is that Nanabi?!” he exclaimed, his voice rising. “What is going on here?”

 

“That is a good question now, is it?” a new voice spoke up from the far wall, causing everyone to look up to the door leading to the inner chambers. The heavy steel-and-stone door had opened sometime earlier, and in it stood a small figure - a cute, young looking girl with long blond hair and green eyes, wearing a simple yet elegant white-and-purple kimono. Nine tails swished quietly behind her, and a closed fan rested in her right hand as she regarded the people before her. Luka blinked, then counted the tails and realized who the person before him had to be.

 

“...Heavenly Knight Tamamo...?” he murmured, still groggy from his brief sleep. The newcomer Kitsune didn’t answer immediately, but her eyes shone with amusement. Alice sighed as she looked at the nine-tailed fox.

 

“Dramatic entrance, eh? You always did have a flair for theatrics, Tamamo,” she addressed her. The fox grinned back at her.

 

“Why, Lady Alicefeeze, I have no idea what you are talking about,” she replied. “It’s not theatrics, it’s knowing how to make an impression.”

 

“That’s the same thing,” the Echidna retorted. “Calling it something else changes nothing.”

 

“Ah, why must it be my fate to be misunderstood? Such is life,” Tamamo sighed in an exaggerated fashion. She then smiled as she tapped her fan against her lower lip, looking around the room. “That aside, I must admit, you hold... interesting company, Lady Alicefeeze. Would you care to introduce me to your companions?”

 

“Fine,” Alice sighed, pointing at the still-kneeling Luka. “This is Luka. He’s a Hero straight out of a fairy tale, who can do things straight out of a fairy tale, and I’m not sure what to think of him anymore after I’ve seen him crush an opponent that by all rights should have brushed him aside without too much difficulty.” She then pointed to Thermidor. “This is Thermidor. She’s Luka’s sister. She also likes her brother. A lot.” A grunt of disbelieving outrage accompanied her words as Thermidor glared at her. “What? It’s true.”

 

“I’ll refrain from commenting any further on that, out of consideration for the ears of those too young to know much swearing just yet,” Thermidor muttered. “Just please leave me out of your strange games.”

 

“You’re no fun, Thermidor,” Alice chided her. She then pointed at Tamamo. “Luka, Thermidor, I’d like you to meet Tamamo, leader of the Kitsune and Heavenly Knight of Earth. Also, she’s childish and really likes to make dramatic entrances.”

 

“It’s all about first impressions!” Tamamo added with a happy grin. She then looked at Luka with an enigmatic smile. “And right now, I’d say someone made a bigger first impression than I did. Is that not so, young Hero?”

 

As he looked at the Knight of Earth’s smiling, friendly face, Luka could only think one thought in his sleep-addled mind.

 

This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?

 

----